Finding Andromeda
by ThatFilmStudent
Summary: Sirius Black hasn't seen his cousin, Andromeda Tonks (née Black), in years; not since she left the Black family. He tried to find her once before, but was unsuccessful then. Now, in 1980, he is going to try again. With a little help from Remus. Can they find her? Remus/Sirius, James/Lily, Andromeda/Ted. AU-ish.
1. Part I

**Finding Andromeda**  
 **Originally written: 11.07.16 – Rewritten: 05.02.17**

 **DISCLAIMER: I do not own these characters.**

* * *

 **Part I**

* * *

"I think you should try and find her again."

Sirius Black, Auror and Hogwarts Graduate, frowned at the words he heard and looked up from his newspaper at the speaker. In front of him, by their kitchen table, stood Remus Lupin – his best mate of ten years and boyfriend of just-over two years. Studying the werewolf's face, Sirius found only seriousness and slight hesitancy.

Remus calmly sat down at the kitchen table and clasped his hands together in front of himself professionally, watching Sirius attentively. The Animagus carefully placed his newspaper down and sat back in his chair, watching Remus as well and trying to process the words he'd just heard.

He reckoned he knew what Remus was talking about but he was confused as to why the subject had been brought up after all this time.

Sirius hadn't seen his cousin, Andromeda Black (or Andromeda Tonks as he reckoned she would be known as now), in years; not since she had left the Black family to marry for love rather than pure bloodlines and power.

Where Sirius couldn't stand most of his family, he could her; his uncle Alphard and his cousin were about the only family members that he could tolerate.

His uncle Alphard had been a grumpy old man but a kind one and he had always treated Sirius different – in a good way; with respect and an odd sort of admiration. They were very similar – Sirius and Alphard – and Sirius reckoned that was why his uncle had left everything to him.

Andromeda was Sirius' favourite cousin. She had always been there for him and she was incredibly kind despite who she had grown up with. Once she'd left Hogwarts, she had ran away from the suffocating Black family to marry a Muggle-born wizard – a Hufflepuff by the name of Edward Tonks, from what Sirius knew.

As soon as the Black family had found out about what she had done, they had disowned her. Sirius' mother had burned her off the family tree, and most of the Black family had elected to pretend she never even existed – including her own sisters who had been fairly close to her beforehand.

Andromeda Black certainly wasn't the first to be disowned and she definitely wasn't the last.

After she had been disowned, Sirius hadn't been allowed to look for her but when he ran away from the family in the summer between his fifth and sixth year, he decided that he wanted to find her. He wanted to find her and be her family again. But, he soon discovered that she seemed to have disappeared off the face of the planet.

No matter what he did, he couldn't find her! Every time he thought he was close or had a lead, he'd been put down and eventually he just gave up trying. When he was nearing the end of seventh year, he gave up searching and, after then, he talked about her little. But when he did talk about her, it was because he missed her.

So, when Remus said he should try and find her again, Sirius was understandably confused. He'd already tried. And he'd failed. Multiple times. He didn't quite fancy going on a ghost hunt again.

"Sorry?" he asked, knowing he'd heard right but asking regardless.

Remus sighed silently and leaned back in his own chair, eyes still trained on Sirius. "I think you should try and find Andromeda again," he repeated calmly. He paused to gauge Sirius' reaction; when Sirius did nothing but stare back blankly, he continued, "You said it yourself: she was your favourite cousin, and you miss her; I know you do. She's part of your family, Padfoot – the only part you could actually stand," he said gently.

Sirius sat up straighter and leaned forward across the table, closer to Remus to stare into the hazel-amber eyes that he knew so well. "Moony, I've already tried. I spent months – years – trying," he shrugged, "I couldn't do it. I couldn't find her. What makes you think I could now?"

Remus smiled softly. "You've got me this time," he replied calmly.

Sirius huffed a laugh and nodded agreeably. He sat back and thought about Remus' words for a moment.

He wasn't necessarily alone that last time he'd tried; he'd had James. But even with both of them and their connections, he and James had both still come up blank. He'd had Remus and Peter to a certain extent, too. But they weren't really able to help.

Peter was too busy trying to pass every class and they didn't live together over the summer. And Sirius hadn't wanted to bother Remus. Remus was too busy trying to sort out all of his own problems and Sirius hadn't wanted to add more. Despite that, though, Remus had been there for him in other ways. They'd talked late at night about his worries and Sirius had been able to handle the dead-ends and rejection because of that.

Sirius didn't have Remus completely last time, but he did now.

Sirius licked his lips nervously and sat forward again, placing his arms on the table on either side of his newspaper. "Okay," he began. "So, say – **hypothetically** – I was going to try again. How would you suggest that we do it?"

Remus smirked slightly and Sirius recognised it as his 'Marauder-smirk' – the one he wore when he had already thought things through and knew exactly how to execute a plan.

"Simple," Remus replied. "We both work at the Ministry. We both have contacts. We're bound to find someone there who has a file on her. Pads, there are files on **everyone** in the Ministry archives. I would suggest that we use our contacts. It can't be that hard to do now. You were sixteen the last time you tried; you didn't really know anyone. You do now," he reassured, placing a hand on Sirius'.

Sirius nodded and looked down at the hand on his unseeingly as he thought about it. Remus was right, he realised. He was only sixteen the last time; he didn't have the right contacts back then. Now, however, he knew a lot more people who could help him. He also had Remus who knew a lot of different people who worked in Research and in the Archives.

Plus, Sirius was an Auror now. In a way, it was his job to find people. Remus was also right when he said that the Ministry of Magic held files for nearly everyone in the UK's Wizarding World. Just because the Black's had rid themselves of Andromeda, it didn't mean that the MoM would.

He knew that they wouldn't destroy Andromeda's file – especially if she was a Black. She might be a disowned one but she was still biologically a part of the Black dynasty. Every part of the family was accounted for, being part of the influential family.

The more Sirius thought about it, the more he was convinced that he could probably find her now.

Remus sat patiently in his chair and waited while Sirius thought everything through. When Sirius finally spoke after a few minutes of silence, Remus started.

"You really think we could find her?" he asked quietly, looking at Remus again.

He knew there was a tinge of worry in his voice and he tried to mask it as best he could but it didn't matter how hard he tried; he knew Remus saw through it easily, having always been able to read him like a children's book. Sirius disguised it as much as he could nonetheless.

Remus stared unflinchingly into his eyes again and nodded determinedly. "I **know** we can," he said strongly, squeezing Sirius' hand reassuringly.

Sirius thought it through once more before he nodded and grinned nervously. "Okay," he murmured. "Okay, let's try and find her."

* * *

 **A/N: Greetings! So, I have rewritten this story because I read the original version and thought that it desperately needed improving and updating. I have also added a few new scenes and this one, as opposed to the original, is rated M (for reasons that will become clear in chapter four). The original version of _Finding Andromeda_ has been deleted. **

**Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoy the rest of the story! =)**


	2. Part II

**Finding Andromeda**  
 **Originally written: 11.07.16 – Rewritten: 05.02.17**

 **DISCLAIMER: See chapter one.**

* * *

 **Part II**

* * *

Alert steely grey eyes travelled across the dark ceiling of their bedroom, following the slight cracks that flowed across the shadowed expanse – visible only by the street lights streaming in through the gaps in the curtains.

Sirius exhaled exasperatedly and allowed his eyes to absentmindedly trace along the narrow fissures, constructing nonsensical patterns. He studied the shaded plane for a long while before he sighed silently again and glanced around the room, his eyes landing on the veiled window.

Sirius Black was annoyed, to say the least. He was tired, but unable to fall asleep. He had spent most of the night tossing and turning in his bed, trying (and failing) to get to sleep; he had done everything he could think of to try and get himself to nod off.

He had tried solving mental mathematical (and Arithmancy) problems, but he had just ended up getting frustrated that he couldn't check if his mental answers were correct. He had tried just lying there with his eyes closed, but his tumultuous thoughts had persisted. He had even tried counting imaginary Diricawls but none of it had worked.

In the end, no matter what he tried, he was still unable to fall asleep.

So, Sirius found himself idly tracing the fractures above him hundreds of times, creating non-existent patterns and images as he waited for either sleep or daylight to come.

A soft snort brought Sirius' attention away from his futile thoughts and back to reality. He half-begrudged the figure lying in the bed next to him, sleeping soundly.

Turning his head on the pillow, Sirius observed the lightly snoring sleeping werewolf at his side. He smiled lazily as he felt that warm, comfortable bubble – the one he felt every time he looked at Remus – expand and settle pleasantly in his chest. For a short while, he watched Remus sleep, smiling at how peaceful and unguarded the other wizard looked when asleep.

For a brief moment, as he watched his werewolf dream, he felt at peace too. But then again, Remus had always had the unique ability to make him feel calm and collected – whether he was awake or not.

Despite feeling at peace, Sirius still felt wide awake and restless.

Looking away from Remus, he looked back up at the ceiling and absently traced the patterns on it again as he tried to sort out his jumbled thoughts.

He had been trying for hours to get to sleep, and he couldn't. He couldn't because he had too many thoughts plaguing his mind; he was too busy thinking about their conversation and Andromeda and all of the questions and worries he harboured.

Would they really be able to find her? And, if they did, would she even want to see him? What if she didn't want to associate with anyone from her past? How would she react if they found her? Everything would be different, he knew, if they did manage to find her and meet her. But, then, what if they didn't find her? What if he searched again but it was as pointless as the first time and she was lost to him again?

Sirius exhaled wearily and turned onto his side, facing Remus' sleeping profile.

He didn't know if he could handle searching and failing again. He had already lost his cousin twice; the first time being when she ran away, and the second when he couldn't find her. He didn't want to hope too much, only for it all to be a disappointing waste of time.

Sirius glanced at clock on the wall behind Remus, illuminated by the bright waxing crescent moon and street lights. 2:47(AM), it read. He huffed and glared at the clock. He had been trying to get to sleep since just after 11PM and he was beginning to feel agitated.

Taking one last moment of contemplation, Sirius decided he needed to move and relieve some of the restless energy he felt. He carefully threw the sheets off of himself, stood up and crept to the door, mindful not to wake Remus. Closing the door behind himself gently, he trudged down the hallway of the flat to the kitchen.

He decided he would have a cup of coffee. He had heard that it helped Muggles to stay alert but it had the opposite effect on him. For some reason, coffee didn't make him feel awake, it made him feel relaxed.

He flicked the kitchen light on and moved over to the kettle to make his beverage. Coffee quickly made, he sat down at the small table and stared unseeingly into his cup.

Staring into the dark liquid, Sirius thought back to the last conversation he had had about Andromeda. It had been with Remus and it hadn't been that long ago, if he recalled correctly; three, maybe four months earlier?

 **Sirius and Remus sat in their flat, eating delicious Muggle pizza and drinking a couple of Butterbeers in their bed at 11:56(PM). They had been out earlier that night having drinks in** ** _The Hippogriff's Neck_ with their mates (James and Lily, Peter and Mary, and Frank and Alice).**

 **That evening, James and Lily had made an announcement; Lily had told the group that they were expecting. Had been for about two months, apparently, and in her speech, she had talked about family and how important it was.**

 **The married couple had then asked Sirius to be Godfather to their child and Sirius had gladly accepted, ecstatic that his best friends were expanding their family. The night had carried on pleasantly, the group drinking and laughing and joking around as if they were in school again.**

 **However, later that night when Sirius and Remus had gotten home, Lily's talk about family and its importance had got him thinking.**

 **He had family, of course – the Potters and the Marauders. But of biological family, he had very little. Well, at least few that he actually** cared **for. The chat about family had made him think about his own and how little he had.**

 **"** **Lily's right," he blurted out, lying on the bed with his navy dress shirt unbuttoned and hanging off him haphazardly. "Family is important," he reiterated before he took a bite of his pizza.**

 **Remus hummed his agreement and took a large bite of his own slice. He was sat next to Sirius, legs crossed and wearing only a pair of boxers and an oversized greying T-shirt. He watched Sirius interestedly, seemingly wondering where the Animagus' mind was heading.**

 **"I haven't seen my family in years," he continued as Remus nodded along slowly. "Sometimes, I wonder how they are," he admitted quietly. "Only Regulus, though. And Andromeda. I don't care about the rest of them."** **He paused and stared at his pizza pensively. "Merlin, I haven't seen Andy in years... I wonder how she is now..." he trailed off thoughtfully.**

 **Remus watched Sirius for a moment, swallowing his bite and debating his words, before he tentatively asked, "How long has it been? Since you've seen her, I mean."**

 **Sirius pondered the question carefully before he answered, "Erm... I was eleven, I think, when she was burnt off the tree, so... Nine years? Nearly ten, maybe?"**

 **Remus nodded slowly.** **"Do you want to see her again?" he asked gently.**

 **Sirius shifted on the bed and sat up to face Remus.**

 **"Yeah," he whispered faintly, the alcohol he had consumed that evening making him more open. The word was spoken so softly that Sirius was unsure whether he had even said it, or if Remus had heard him.** **"But," he continued with a shrug, "** **C'est la vie, as they say."**

 **He chuckled mirthlessly before he took another slice of pizza and folded it over to make a pizza sandwich.**

 **Remus stared at him thoughtfully before he shifted to sit next to Sirius, both of them leaning back against the headboard. He manoeuvred himself so that his arm rested around Sirius' shoulders, and he pulled Sirius into his side. Sirius allowed himself to be guided and he leaned into Remus' embrace dutifully, his head resting back on Remus' shoulder.**

 **"** **You've got us, you know?" Remus murmured into his hair. "You've got me. And James and Lily. And Pete. We're your family. And you're ours." He paused and Sirius looked him in the eye. "I know it's not the same. But you do have a family. You're** my **family."**

 **Sirius gazed at him and nodded, smiling gratefully before they simultaneously took a bite. "Yeah," he agreed, snuggling into Remus' side a bit more. "You're mine, too."**

Sirius took a sip of his coffee and thought about that conversation.

He wondered how long it had been on Remus' mind for the werewolf to bring up the topic now so out of the blue. Remus must have thought about it a lot, he reckoned. But, then again, Sirius knew that Remus was always thinking. His brain was always working, always analysing and contemplating and reflecting. It often took him a while to fall asleep on a night, hence Sirius' reluctance to be loud and wake him up.

Taking one last gulp, Sirius finished his cup of coffee and moved over to the sink, deciding to wash the mug manually instead of using magic. Normally he would use magic – washing by hand was something Remus and Lily did – but, at that moment, he felt cleaning the Muggle way was needed.

Remus always claimed that washing dishes was _'therapeutic'_. Sirius, however, never found it helpful; he just found it annoying, with the water and the drying. Still, despite this, he decided to do it the Muggle way.

He didn't have his wand, anyway.

He washed the cup, dried it and placed it back in the cupboard. Finished with that, Sirius flicked the light off in the kitchen and tiptoed down the hallway to the bedroom in the dark.

Silently, he entered the bedroom and gently shut the door behind himself before he stealthily made his way to the bed. On the way, however, he swore under his breath as he nearly tripped over some discarded clothing on the floor. Luckily, he managed to catch himself from falling on the wall.

Straightening up, he climbed into his side of the bed and quietly pulled the covers back over himself. He lay as still as he could in the bed for a moment, trying to conclude whether or not he had woken Remus up, before he shuffled and tried to make himself comfortable. Once suitably comfy, he lay still and hoped for sleep to claim him.

"You okay?" Remus mumbled tiredly, making the Animagus jump a little.

Sirius inwardly cursed; he had thought (hoped) he had managed to make no noise. He hadn't wanted to wake Remus up.

Remus rolled over onto his side to face Sirius, and Sirius turned his head to look back. As he looked at the moonlit face of his partner, he noticed the concerned glint in those familiar hazel-amber eyes.

He swallowed and nodded. "Yeah," he croaked before he cleared his throat, slightly embarrassed by the break in his voice. "Yes, I'm fine."

The werewolf studied him for a moment, his face unreadable, before he smiled supportively (knowingly and understandingly) and shuffled closer to Sirius in the bed. He flung his arm over Sirius' waist possessively and rested his head on the Animagus' shoulder.

Sirius shifted as well and tilted his head so it rested atop Remus' slightly. His hand moved up to hold onto Remus' arm, securing their hold on each other, and they lay like that in silence.

Sirius began to feel sleep overtake him and he realised that Remus' calming effects (and the hot beverage) were working. He could feel himself growing tired. As he lay there, Remus' heat warming him up and their mixed scent surrounding him, he also realised that no words were needed; Remus already knew, evident by the protective hold the man had on him.

Soon enough, Sirius' worries trickled away into the recesses of his mind and allowed him to fall into a deep dreamless sleep.

* * *

Sirius stared up at the massive building hesitantly.

It felt different, that morning, to be stood outside of the Ministry of Magic. He had been in the establishment multiple times before – he worked there, for Merlin's sake; he was there five days a week! – but looking at it as he was, it just felt... **different**. The building looked taller, more intimidating.

Though, Sirius supposed, the MoM never did look comforting or solicitous in the past. Why should it now?

The people in there were all Ministry workers, and Sirius didn't know for sure if they would help him. Yes, he had friends in there, but it wasn't the Auror squad that he needed help from. He needed people who worked in the other sectors of the institution, and he couldn't help but wonder why they would help him.

Although Sirius was friendly with those outside of the Auror precinct, he wasn't exactly **friends** with them. A lot of people who worked in the Ministry still saw him as a Black, no matter how hard he tried to change their perception of him. It didn't matter that he had been disowned or that he was as far from a Black as possible these days; he was still a Black in their eyes, and that made some friendships hard to obtain.

"It's going to be fine," a soft but firm voice sounded from his right. Sirius reluctantly looked over to find Remus' calm face and demeanour. "I promise," Remus smiled honestly.

Sirius nodded, feeling a bit calmer as he looked back at the tall structure.

It was as if Remus always knew what he was thinking. Most of the time, he was glad that Remus could read him like a book but sometimes he begrudged it because he often thought he couldn't read Remus at all.

Remus was an enigma – not just to him but to everyone else as well, he knew. That didn't make it any easier, though. He had spent the last ten years getting to know Remus – two of those in Remus' bed – and he had thought that, by now, he would have had Remus all figured out. But he didn't. Remus was still a mystery to him; always calm and collected, rarely ruffled by anything.

Sirius had only seen Remus angry or affected a handful of times but even with those insights that he knew no one else saw, the werewolf was still a conundrum to him.

Sometimes, he envied Remus' placid nature, but quite often he didn't. Because, with Remus' lack of show in emotion, Sirius knew that the werewolf often had trouble communicating his feelings; Remus, despite being an articulate man, found it hard to express himself.

Sirius, however, had no qualms with expressing himself. In contrast with Remus, he found it easier to talk openly about himself and his feelings. His problem was that he couldn't hide how he felt. He seemed to feel everything **more** than others; his emotions were pure and deep, and it was hard for him to suppress them sometimes.

"Sirius?"

Sirius snapped out of his reverie and looked at Remus. He realised, by the look on the werewolf's face, that his attention had been called for a few times already.

"Yeah?"

"Okay?" Remus asked, tentatively slipping his hand into Sirius' and squeezing it lightly.

Grey eyes flicked down to their joined hands briefly before they returned to Remus' face. Sirius swallowed thickly before he nodded as confidently as he could and forced a tight smile. Remus smiled back supportively, earning himself a less tense smile from the Animagus, and gave Sirius' hand another quick, consoling squeeze before he let go and walked up the steps towards the large front doors.

Sirius gave the building one last cursory glance before he followed behind Remus at a more sedate pace. Remus waited by the large doors until Sirius was at his side again before he reached and held one of the doors open for Sirius.

Sirius hesitated for a split-second before he nodded thankfully at his partner and walked into the building slowly, Remus following after.

As he stepped into the building, he noticed that there was a definite ambience of difference to the place. He had stepped through those doors a plenitude of times but, for some reason unbeknownst to Sirius, that day felt momentous.

It was technically his day off and he didn't usually go into the Ministry on his days off, opting to spend his free time anywhere else. He only went in if he was on-call and called in or if Remus needed to sort something out. Occasionally, if he and James had a particularly difficult case, they would go in to work on it.

Sometimes, when Remus had to work and Sirius was off, he would take food in and they would eat together. But, he realised as he looked around the busy reception hall, it felt different even from those days because neither of them were there to work; they were there to find someone.

 **That** day, Sirius realised with a heavy feeling in his chest, he might be about to reconnect with his favourite ex-Black.

For a moment, he just stood there, glancing absentmindedly around the large room. He started when he felt a hand rest on his back, and he turned to find Remus smiling at him placidly.

"It's going to be okay, Padfoot," Remus said, turning Sirius' body to face him. Sirius allowed himself to be guided and Remus placed his hands on Sirius' shoulders. "Okay? We'll find something," he said, softly confident.

Sirius nodded and Remus studied him for a moment before he slowly trailed his hands down Sirius' arms to clutch the Animagus' hands. He gave Sirius' hands a quick squeeze before he nodded, turned and headed in the opposite direction in which Sirius was to go.

Sirius watched his significant other disappear into the crowd before he turned and headed toward the staircase, electing to get some exercise and release some of his pent up restless energy.

While Remus was off meeting with someone in the Archives section of the Ministry (how Remus knew them, Sirius didn't know, but he didn't ask; he wasn't entirely sure he wanted to know), Sirius decided he would go up to the Auror offices and see some of his fellow workmates.

Since he and James (and a few others) were off this weekend, he knew that Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody would be in – the paranoid Scotsman worked every day, 24/7 – along with Kingsley Shacklebolt, Marlene McKinnon, Frank Longbottom and Hestia Jones.

Sirius stepped out onto the Auror floor and walked along the corridor to the offices. Walking into the office, he noticed McKinnon flirting with an oblivious Shacklebolt at their joint desk. He decided not to bother them and instead looked over to the desk at the top end of the room. There, he found Moody sat alone at his solitary but large desk, feet up on it, looking extremely bored, and definitely not doing any work. Sirius smirked as he walked over.

As soon as the superior Auror spotted Sirius, he dropped his feet onto the floor roughly and looked Sirius up and down before he gestured for the other wizard to take a seat. Sirius nodded curtly and took the proffered seat.

"Why're you here?" Moody asked bluntly as he leaned back in his chair and regarded Sirius.

"Well, hello to you, too," Sirius replied satirically. Moody just stared at him. Sirius shrugged and replied, "I'm here for personal reasons. Came in to ask for a favour."

Moody eyed him suspiciously before asking, "What do you want?"

Sirius leaned forward in his chair, elbows resting on his knees, and inhaled subtly. "I want to find someone," he answered. "Someone I haven't seen for a very long time."

Moody hummed noncommittally and glanced around the office. His eye(s) landed on Sirius again. "Who is it you're looking for, then, Black?" he asked, sounding genuinely half-curious.

Sirius sat back in the chair. "Andromeda. My cousin. She was... kicked out of the Black family when I was young," he explained.

Moody nodded understandingly. He may have been a very stoic and seemingly unfeeling man but Sirius knew he was secretly – very, very deep down – caring. Moody knew that Sirius didn't have much biological family he cared for.

"Best to go to the Archive for that, Black," he suggested.

Sirius nodded. "Yeah, I know," he grinned crookedly. "Remus is there now."

Moody nodded his acknowledgement. "Lupin's here?" he questioned.

Sirius nodded.

Moody knew about Sirius and Remus' personal relationship – all of their friends, and most of their colleagues did – and he seemed fine with it. He was fairly open-minded for a Pureblood Wizard.

While being gay in the Wizarding world was fairly accepted, many Pureblood families looked down on it because, to them, it was a way of stopping Pureblood families, bloodlines and names from being carried on.

The Scotsman frowned and looked at him. "So, why are you **here**?"

Sirius' brow furrowed before he realised what his boss meant. "Oh, erm, I just thought I'd pop in and see you," he reasoned lamely. It was half-true; he also didn't know anyone in Filing and Archives, and he reckoned he would be a bit useless down there.

Moody raised a sceptical eyebrow but just shrugged his brow and replied with a mumbled, "Okay." For a moment, they were silent before an almost-nefarious smile emerged on the Scotsman's lips. "Want to help me do some paperwork?"

Sirius glanced at the stack of paper and considered it. He reckoned that Remus might be a while, and he was quite bored. Plus, he had nothing else to do and he was, if he wasn't being too modest, absolutely brilliant at paperwork.

Sighing mock-dramatically, he took a section of the papers and began working on them. Moody took his own section and his face stretched into what Sirius supposed was meant to be a smug grin, but instead made the older man look constipated.

The smugness, Sirius reckoned, was because him helping meant that Moody would have less work to do and therefore would probably be able to leave work a bit earlier.

Sirius was okay with it, though – doing some of Moody's work – because it was Saturday, and that night, some Aurors (and their partners/friends) had decided to go out for a drink – Sirius and Remus included.

Peter would be showing off his new Healer girlfriend, since Mary had called off their relationship once again. And James and Lily would be there, too. But, as Lily was pregnant, she wouldn't be drinking. She had also banned James from drinking; a solidarity thing, James had reiterated mournfully.

Sirius did the paperwork expertly, paying little attention to the world around him, and waited for Remus' return.

* * *

Sirius leaned back in his chair and extended his arms above his head, stretching languidly.

He had been hunched over Moody's paperwork for nearly an hour and they were almost done. He and Moody had talked at odd intervals but most of their attention had stayed on the paperwork, both trying to get it finished as soon as possible. Sirius only had five sheets left to check over while Moody had a few more.

Moody sat back in his chair as well with his usual frown, and huffed. Sirius knew how he felt. Paperwork, especially for an action-filled career like theirs, was always tedious and he didn't like doing it too much. But it had to be done to ensure the right people stayed locked up and the public stayed safe. That was why Sirius always did his paperwork straight away and efficiently; something that he, admittedly, learned from Remus.

Remus was always telling him to do his paperwork as soon as possible and Sirius had learned his lesson the hard way when one weekend, he hadn't listened to Remus and he had had to stay in the Ministry for the entire weekend to complete all of his paperwork. That weekend he had missed out on Bonfire Night and spending time with Remus, but Remus' lesson had finally sunk in.

Ever since then, Sirius had made sure to do his paperwork immediately as to avoid a repeat situation. Moody, however, didn't have a Remus to teach him things and he didn't do his work until the last minute. And that was why he was stuck there on a Saturday when he could have been at home doing...whatever it was that relaxed him. Well, that and it was his workday.

Deciding they needed a break, Moody and Sirius stood up and went into the small Auror kitchen area to get a beverage. When they walked back, mere minutes later, they found Remus sitting casually where Sirius had been sitting minutes before, sifting through the papers on Moody's desk.

Moody sat down in his chair, sipping at his steaming cup of coffee, and watched Sirius and Remus. Sirius stayed standing, staring at Remus expectantly. He didn't know what he was expecting. Maybe for Remus to say that they couldn't find her; maybe for him to say that they had found her but she had changed her name and clearly didn't want to be found?

After a moment, Remus looked up and smiled, placing the papers back on the desk.

"I've asked," he began calmly. "They're going to look for her file as soon as possible but it might take a little while. They're busy with the Talkalot/Pearson case, trying to dig up dirt for the courts. They said they'd contact me when they find it," he finished stolidly, emphasising the 'when' and making Sirius feel hopeful.

Sirius grinned shakily and nodded. "Thanks," he said as he pulled up a chair from the opposite desk and put the cup of tea down. He sat down next to Remus and pulled the paperwork towards him. "We'll go after I've done this," he offered, looking down at the paper.

He was oddly glad of the work; it was a welcome distraction from his whirling thoughts and it managed to quench his anxiety, giving him something to focus on. Remus nodded and leaned back in his chair while Sirius started on finishing the paperwork. He nudged the cup of tea towards Remus who took it and took a sip.

"Hello, Moody," Remus greeted, putting the mug down.

Moody nodded curtly. "Lupin," he returned in his gruff voice before he smiled minutely. The Scotsman rarely smiled but Remus had that effect on people. "You going to be there tonight?" he asked as he returned to his paperwork.

Remus nodded. "Yes," he answered verbally. "James and Lily are going to be there, too. As will Pete and his new girlfriend."

Moody grunted.

From the corner of his eye, Sirius could see Remus fidgeting – foot gently tapping up and down and hazel-amber eyes searching around the room interestedly. Sirius took a sip of the tea before he handed it back to Remus along with a couple of sheets. Remus smiled at him and took both the paperwork and tea, his eyes immediately scanning the scrawl.

By the time Sirius had finished, Remus had already checked his section twice over and finished the tea. Sirius was, not for the first time, in awe of his partner's endurance and quick-working. Moody still had a couple of pages left.

Sirius shuffled his pile neatly, planted them on top of the overwhelming stack and stood up. Remus, however, stayed seated and watched Moody. Sirius watched the rough man as well, clearly understanding that Remus thought they should wait for him to finish his section. After a few moments, Moody looked up, sensing the two pairs of eyes on him.

"You can go," he Scotsman said, also understanding that Remus thought it would be rude to just leave. "I've got other stuff to do before I leave."

"Sure?" Remus checked; Moody nodded, smiling. Remus nodded back, stood up and pushed his chair under the desk. "Alright, see you tonight," he said politely while Sirius returned his chair to the other desk.

Moody grunted in response and Remus chuckled as he and Sirius walked out of the office and eventually out of the building. Sirius felt more at ease once he was out of the building, and he turned to Remus as they stood on the bottom step.

"Food?" he suggested.

"Yes," Remus replied emphatically, looking at Sirius. "We're going to find her," he said, inspirited.

Sirius smiled and nodded, feeling cautiously optimistic that they would. He was anxious that they wouldn't, and nervous that they would, but he felt he was ready for the outcome. Whatever it was.

* * *

Sirius watched in a strange trance as the cream paint covered the wall smoothly, the paintbrush in his hand stroking across the flat surface easily and spreading the viscous liquid evenly.

It was oddly satisfying, he thought; therapeutic in a way – the way the paint spread blissfully across the wall, coating it beautifully. He understood, now, Lily's want for the room to be painted the Muggle way.

Sirius had been working nonstop all day. He had started work early, just before 8AM as to start their new case immediately, and had finished just after his shift ended, finishing that day's paperwork.

He had planned to go straight home after work and have dinner with Remus, maybe have some **fun** and watch some TV. But then, just before their shift ended, James had asked (actually, he had begged but the stag Animagus would never admit to that) for Sirius to help paint the nursery and Sirius, being the good friend he was, had said yes.

He had Flooed Remus to explain that he would be home late, to which Remus had replied that he would be too, and Sirius and James had gone to the Potter home to paint the nursery.

Lily had made them some sandwiches to eat while they painted, and they were on their second coating – the first having been dried via magic. The actual painting, however, was done by hand.

Lily had practically forced them to paint it the Muggle way, saying that it would be _'fun'_ and _'better for the baby'_. Neither Pureblood had quite believed her reasoning but they hadn't argued with her. The redhead was deadly enough when she wasn't pregnant; the hormones had only served to increase her psycho-ness.

Sirius had chosen that evening to tell James about his and Remus' quest to find his cousin, blurting it out in the middle of a perfect brushstroke.

Before, he hadn't had time to; they had been out drinking with everyone or too busy with their new case. Sirius knew he had to tell James – Potter was his best mate and practical-brother, after all – but he couldn't find the right time. Until that night, that is.

James stood up and pushed his glasses up his nose with the heel of his hand, not wanting to sully them. He looked at Sirius with a curious frown, his mouth open in the way that it had when they were in school and he was trying to figure something out.

"You're going to do what?" he questioned.

Sirius looked at him and grinned when he saw the dry paint flecked in James' dark hair from their previous paint fight. Sirius didn't know who had started it – himself most likely – but the room, along with themselves, had gotten messy. They had cleaned it up before Lily saw but she had quickly figured it out, them being covered her biggest clue. Luckily for them, she seemed to be in quite a jovial mood and didn't seem to care too much.

"I'm looking for Andy again," he repeated. "Moony reckons we can find her."

James nodded slowly and started swooshing his paintbrush across the opposite wall with abandon. "That's... good, right?" he asked.

Sirius watched him paint without precision for a moment before he answered, "Yes. Why?"

James shrugged. "You just sound a bit... I don't know..." He paused and studied Sirius. "Odd. Apprehensive, maybe?"

Sirius shrugged and returned to painting. "I am a bit, I suppose. I mean, there is a chance it could go like it did the last time. There are no guarantees we'll find her. But Moony is optimistic and if there's any time to look for her, it's now."

James moved to stand beside him. "Have you found anything yet?"

Sirius shook his head. "No."

"When did you start looking?"

"A few days ago? We only started talking about it about a week ago."

James moved to stand in front of him, blocking the wall. Sirius stepped back, feeling a little too close to his brother in all but blood.

"Why am I only just finding out now?" James asked incredulously.

Sirius shrugged.

"There was no time," he explained. "We had people around us all of the time, or work, or the baby scan. I just couldn't find a good time to mention it. Plus, it would have been pointless if nothing happened. But I would have told you regardless," he assured. "When I found the right time. Now's as good a time as any, right?"

James stared at him for a long moment before he smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, I suppose there was a lot going on," he agreed before he clapped Sirius on the arm. "I'm glad you told me." He turned around and both he and Sirius began painting the same wall. "So... What's been happening, then? Tell me everything."

Sirius nodded and paused, wondering where to start.

"Okay... Well, we – me and Moony, that is – talked about it about a week ago, and it stayed on my mind. So, last weekend, the day when we met Pete's new girlfriend?"

James thought back and nodded.

"Well, we were both off, so Moony suggested that we go to the Ministry. You know, to see if there was any information. Since then, we've just been waiting for a word from Remus' mates down in the Research and Archives departments. They're busy with some big case, so we haven't really heard anything from them yet."

James hummed and nodded slowly. "Right," he murmured. He flung an arm around Sirius' shoulders and pulled him into a sideways hug. "Well, I hope you find her, mate. I know you've wanted to for a while. Keep me updated, yeah?"

Sirius nodded and brushed over the wall smoothly. "Yeah," he promised. "Will do."

"Hey," James chirped, obviously attempting to lighten the mood. "You'll never guess who I saw today..."

Sirius listened and painted the wall, feeling like a weight had been lifted from his chest.


	3. Part III

**Finding Andromeda  
** **Originally written: 11.07.16 – Rewritten: 05/06.02.17**

 **DISCLAIMER:** **See previous chapter.**

* * *

 **Part III**

* * *

It was Wednesday night before Sirius found anything out about his quest.

Over the days, the Animagus had thrown himself into work (and anything else he could) to keep himself distracted. It had worked well – perhaps a little too well, as Remus had noticed his tenseness and had subsequently promised to help him 'relax' later that night.

So, throughout Wednesday, Sirius had found himself working hard all day, looking forward to going home that night and **relaxing**. That was until Remus had found him in the Auror office and had regrettably informed Sirius that he would be working late. Sirius had been disappointed, of course, but he understood – Remus worked hard to make life better for 'Dark Creatures' and 'Others', and to prove that he deserved his job in the Ministry.

Remus had promised to make it up to him later and James had quickly seized the opportunity to ask for Sirius' help with the nursery, putting up some woodland animal stickers for the baby. Sirius had readily agreed to help, not wanting to sit bored and alone in the flat.

After work, the pair had gone to James' and decorated the cream walls with colourful trees and woodland creatures. Once finished, Sirius had stayed for a little while longer, eating and chatting with the married couple, before he left and went home, hoping to find his werewolf there.

By the time he arrived home, it was nearing 10PM and Sirius was glad to find Remus on the couch in their living room waiting for him.

As Sirius crossed the threshold, Remus shot up off the couch and watched him with an unreadable expression. Pausing in the doorway, Sirius assessed Remus carefully for a moment, studying the other man's posture and body language. He quickly deemed it unthreatening and entered further into the flat, kicking the door shut behind himself.

Calmly, he shrugged off his cloak and casually hung it up on the hook on the door; all the while, Remus stood quiet and waited patiently.

Sirius took one last glance at Remus, feeling the all-familiar thump in his chest, before he wandered off into the kitchen. Remus hurriedly followed and stopped in the doorway, leaning against the frame. Sirius began making himself a cup of coffee and a cup of tea with three sugars for Remus.

Just as he was about to boil the kettle, he heard a very loud and obvious cough sounding from behind him. He grinned down at the cups, finding Remus' attention-garnering techniques amusing, before he channelled his face into a neutral expression and turned around to look at the other man. Remus shot him a Look – one that clearly said: _'Ask me what's up!'_ – and Sirius couldn't help but smile again; this was at least one thing that he could read about Remus Lupin.

"So, Remus," he started calmly, leaning back against the counter. "Anything interesting happen today?"

Remus smiled enigmatically and sat down at the table. He gestured to the seat opposite him – Sirius' usual seat – and waited for Sirius to sit down.

Sirius' smirk faltered slightly as he moved away from the counter, abandoning his task of making hot beverages, and dutifully sat down. He had a strange feeling in his gut that this was important. The sudden thought that it could be about Andromeda surged to the forefront of his mind and would not leave him alone.

Once Sirius was sat, Remus simply stated, "I have an address."

Sirius stared for a moment, digesting the words, before he nodded slowly. He tried to squash the fluttering hope in his chest, not wanting to get his hopes up too high just in case it was bad news.

"An address?" he repeated.

Remus nodded, his smile growing.

"Benjy found her file, hidden in the back. He found her most recent address. I have it here," he said, reaching into his cardigan pocket and pulling out a small folded up piece of paper. He placed it on the table between them and Sirius stared at it intently. "I went to see Moody – that's why I was late tonight. I wanted to make sure the address existed before I told you. Anyway, he showed me where it was on the map." He paused and when Sirius looked up, hazel-amber held grey. "If you want, we can go. We can go there and see her," he finished gently.

Sirius swallowed thickly and returned his gaze to the paper. His doubts and worries came flooding back. The files weren't always up to date. That may have been her address once, but what if it wasn't anymore? What if, when they got there, she no longer lived there? What if she did live there, but didn't want to see him?

Stormy grey flicked up to Remus again.

"If you want to," the werewolf repeated.

Sirius fidgeted in his seat as he stared down at the paper. Worrying his lip, he mentally debated everything. On that piece of paper was the last known address of his long-lost cousin; the place where she might still reside.

Sirius suddenly wondered, with it being so close to happening: Did he want to see her again? Could he do it – just show up, unannounced, and see her again after all these years? Staring down at the paper, he decided that, yes, he did want to see her again; he could do it.

Taking one last steadying breath, Sirius reached out a shaky hand and picked up the slip of paper. He frowned at himself, unused to being overcome with nerves, and slowly parted the paper. His hands trembled slightly as he stared at the address in confusion.

 _1 Above Beck,  
Grasmere,  
Cumbria,  
LA26 7RW_, it read.

He frowned down at the scrawl on the slip. He had never heard of Grasmere before... And he was pretty sure Cumbria was in the North of England. He turned his confusion to Remus.

"Where is this?"

"Grasmere. The Lake District. It's up North," Remus explained. "It'll take a little while to get there by car or train, but I think they are a better option than travelling by broom or Apparition. It's too far to Apparate and if we flew, it would be cold and quite a long and uncomfortable journey."

Stormy grey turned back to the paper and he wondered, was it even worth the journey, if he got there and it turned out that she didn't want to see him? Clearly his cousin had moved far away – into the secluded Lake District, no less – to get away from everyone she knew. But... what if she **did** want to see him? What if she had missed him too?

Staring at the scribble, Sirius decided that it **was** worth it.

If Andromeda decided that she didn't want to see him, then yes, it would hurt, but at least he had **tried**. At least he would have closure and know that he had made the effort; he wouldn't have any _'what ifs'_ plaguing his mind, haunting him as regrets. Plus, Sirius realised, he had Remus and his own self-created family if she dismissed him.

"Do you want to?" Remus asked carefully.

Sirius was silent for a second longer before he decisively answered, "Yes. I want to see her." He hesitated momentarily, looking up at Remus. "You'll come with me?" he asked uncertainly.

Remus smiled and put his hand on the table, palm up. "Of course."

Sirius smiled back and placed his hand in Remus' tentatively. He looked down at the address in his other hand, trying to commit it to memory.

"Saturday?" he suggested.

Remus nodded. "I'll see if I can find us some train tickets," he said, giving Sirius' hand a quick squeeze before he stood up and released him.

Sirius mourned the loss of contact immediately and stood up quickly, lunging at Remus and enveloping him in a strong embrace. Remus stumbled back a little in surprise but hurried to return the hug, holding Sirius protectively.

"Thank you," he muttered sincerely into the crook of Remus' neck. "I love you," he murmured, and he could practically feel Remus smile at his words as he was pulled closer.

Remus nodded. "No problem," he replied into Sirius' hair. After a short moment, he responded with a barely audible, "I love you, too."

Sirius beamed and held Remus tighter. He loved it whenever Remus said those words to him. While the Animagus said them quite often, Remus didn't say them as much. It wasn't as if the werewolf never said them; he did – just not as commonly as Sirius. Remus often had trouble expressing his love in words, and so he elected to show Sirius through actions. And though Sirius loved actions, he appreciated hearing the words every so often.

"We found her," Remus muttered and Sirius nodded.

"Yeah, we did," he replied, nerves and excitement battling within him.

Remus, sensing the warring emotions, pulled back slightly and stared at Sirius. After a studious moment, he smirked and said, "I believe I have a promise to keep?" before he grabbed Sirius' hand and led the way to the bedroom.

* * *

"You found her?" James asked before he held up a long plank of wood in question.

Thursday night, and Sirius found himself helping James with the nursery again. Lily wanted it finished as soon as possible, despite the baby's due date not being for another three or four months yet.

The Aurors had finished work early and James had asked (pleaded with) Sirius to help build the furniture since he had no idea what he was doing and Lily had been a pain when they had built a set of drawers together. Sirius had agreed, if only because Remus was going there after work too.

After Remus had finished work, he had gone to the Potter's to assist Lily with the rest of the house, leaving the Purebloods – who thought it was rather unfair that they, as Purebloods, had to assemble the furniture the Muggle way when Remus and Lily both had family members of the Muggle variety – to sort the room.

Lily and Remus were downstairs supposedly cleaning but James and Sirius reckoned that they were watching something on the Muggle television as they could hear far too much noise floating up the stairs for it to be just the two of them.

The baby's room was almost complete – walls painted nicely, stickers put up perfectly, and the drawers had been built already. The only things left to do were build the cot and get the baby's toys/clothes/essentials, which James and Lily would buy together.

The pair of Animagi were in the midst of assembling the future Potter heir's cot when Sirius decided to update James on his search.

Yawning, Sirius nodded an affirmative to James' question and sat forward on the small beanbag chair. Grey eyes moved from the pieces of wood scattered around on the floor to the instructions he held in his hands to a perplexed James. He looked at the instructions again and gnawed contemplatively at the inside of his lip.

"Yep. I don't think that's the right piece," he murmured thoughtfully. "Why aren't we doing this the smart way, again? You know, the magic way? Because we're wizards?"

James sighed deeply, almost pained, and looked at Sirius. "Because Lily said I have to do things **'manually'** sometimes. She confiscated my wand," he pouted.

Sirius couldn't help but laugh at his best mate and the pitiful pout. He snorted loudly and fell back in his chair, barely hearing James' grumbles over his laughter.

"Shut up," James muttered petulantly. "Moony makes you do things the Muggle way, too."

Sirius grinned, still amused though his laughter had simmered down, and shrugged in agreement because, yes, Remus did make him do things the Muggle way sometimes. He sat forward again and picked up a piece of wood, looking for the number on it.

"Here, this one," he said, handing it to James.

James took it and slotted the piece of wood into another as he asked, "So, are you going to go and see her?"

"Yes," he replied as he handed James another plank and a piece of plastic that was supposed to go with it.

James took them. "When?"

"Saturday."

"This Saturday?" he questioned, pausing to look at Sirius. "Bugger... I was going to ask you to help set up the garden then," he said, slightly miffed.

"Oh no!" Sirius cawed, sarcasm dripping from his every word. "That's a bloody shame! I really wanted to help you clean up your shitty garden," he deadpanned, wiping away a fake tear.

James picked up the nearest thing to him, which happened to be a stuffed black dog teddy that Sirius had brought along as an early present, and threw it at Sirius. Sirius dodged it expertly, having been a Beater during Hogwarts and having quite refined skills, and laughed at James' tragic attempt. For a Chaser and team captain, James should have had good aim, Sirius mused.

James huffed and frowned at his throw. "I haven't played in a while," he excused lamely. "So, Saturday, ey? Nervous?"

Sirius scoffed. "What kind of a question is that? Of course not," he said with all of the false bravado he could muster, even as he avoided eye contact.

James raised his eyebrows and hummed sceptically, clearly attuned to Sirius' truth. "Ahuh... What's wrong?"

Sirius considered shrugging it off for a moment before he decided it would be fruitless. This was James. He couldn't lie to James. And James was persistent, he knew. Looking back at his best mate, he sighed reluctantly and shook his head imperceptibly.

"I don't know," he shrugged. "It's just... What if I'm doing all of this for no reason, Prongs? What if she doesn't want to see me?"

James shrugged, unconcerned. "What if she does?" he countered.

Sirius chuckled at James' cavalier response. He knew James cared but, like Remus, he wasn't great at expressing his emotions. However, unlike Remus, James also couldn't show concern when he talked. It was a problem for him, really. People never thought he was being serious or that he truly gave a shit because he was too laidback.

"Good point," Sirius replied with a minimal hint of sarcasm.

The pair spent the next half hour trying to build the cot but, in the end, neither of them could figure it out. They were not used to doing things the Muggle way and they were not good at building things – a flaw they both owned but neither admitted.

Around halfway through, Remus brought two cups of coffee up for them and Sirius soon began to feel tired. With a sudden jolt, he remembered that he hadn't had his wand taken.

Producing his wand with a flourish, Sirius waved it in front of James' face enticingly and waggled his eyebrows. James beamed at him and nodded his head vigorously. They assembled the cot and James lay in it – to make sure it was sturdy, they had reasoned. However, like the idiot he was, he got stuck and Sirius had to pull him out. After he had finished laughing, of course.

"Done!" James called down the stairs happily.

Lily appeared at the bottom step, watching the pair with narrowed eyes. James and Sirius grinned back.

"Really?" she asked suspiciously; they nodded.

The redhead stomped up the stairs as fast as she could, which wasn't very fast in her condition, and Remus followed behind. The Purebloods moved aside as she strode past them with purpose and waddled into the room. She eyed up the cot for a long moment and Sirius held his breath, wondering if perhaps she was trying to see if they had used magic.

Eventually she turned around and nodded at them, clearly satisfied. She hobbled down the stairs and the remaining three began to follow her.

James stopped Sirius at the top of the stairs. "Good luck on Saturday, mate," he said genuinely. Sirius smiled back and nodded his thanks before they followed down the stairs.

* * *

Sirius managed to keep calm all through Friday whilst at work. When he arrived home, however, with nothing to occupy his mind, he began to feel anxious again and his thoughts slammed into him fiercely.

The next day, he would possibly be meeting his cousin again after so many years apart. His thoughts that night, though, were more rounded on what he would say to her rather than if she wanted to see him or not. He couldn't just rock up on her doorstep and say _'Hi, Cuz,'_ could he?

Perhaps he should have Owled her first or something... But it was a bit too late to do that now, he realised.

All that night, Sirius tossed and turned in his bed. It wasn't often that he got nervous but he did when it came to very important things. And this, it seemed, was extremely important to him.

He didn't get much sleep that night but he eventually managed to settle into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

Saturday morning, the delicious smell of bacon and eggs punctured the air, wafting through the small but cosy flat and into the bedroom where Sirius lay still, slowly waking. In other circumstances, it would have been a nice awakening. As it was, however, Sirius' sleep had been troubled and he had, unfortunately, woken up quite grumpy.

Slowly, tired grey eyes opened and Sirius turned his head groggily to stare at the wall clock: just after 6AM. He frowned, momentarily forgetting why he was awake that early on a Saturday.

Then he remembered.

He remembered that he was going to get on a Muggle train at an ungodly hour to travel up the country and see his favourite cousin for the first time in nearly a decade.

Sirius was pulled from his musings as he watched Remus stumble gracefully into the bedroom and move over to sit on the edge of the bed next to him. The other wizard smiled at him and placed a tray of delectable smelling food on his own lap. Despite this – a delicious looking meal and an equally delicious looking Remus – Sirius closed his eyes, craving more sleep.

"Padfoot," Remus said melodically. "Time to wake up," he sang softly.

Sirius frowned and grunted. "No."

"Get up. Or you're going to be wearing this food," the werewolf replied, his voice eerily kind and seemingly unthreatening. Despite his sweet tone, Sirius had no doubt that the other man would possibly follow through on his threat.

Sirius grunted again but opened his eyes and shifted to sit up, leaning back against the headboard. Remus handed him the tray before he crawled over Sirius carefully and sat beside him. In silence, Sirius began eating while Remus watched placidly. The Animagus wasn't disconcerted by Remus watching – he did it often and Sirius was used to it.

They sat like that for a long while; Sirius was halfway through when Remus spoke.

"You can sleep on the train," he offered as he stood up from the bed and walked over to the boiler cupboard. He plucked a towel out and made his way out of the bedroom. "I'm going for a shower," he informed over his shoulder.

Sirius sat in the bed and stared after him, admiring the view as his mind wandered off to the upcoming journey. In all honesty, he didn't know much of what was going to happen. Remus had organised everything and the previous night, he had explained it.

From what Sirius could remember, they were going to get a Muggle train from Euston Station to Oxenholme Lake District station and then another train from there to Windemere. They would then get a taxi to Grasmere. The journey as a whole, Remus had said, would take around four hours; but travelling by train was the best option as car would cost more and take longer.

The other wizard had also managed to get them both a few days off work – until Tuesday – and had booked out a room in one of the local hotels for a couple of nights; in case Sirius wanted to spend more time with Andromeda and her husband, or they wanted to make a holiday out of it. It seemed pointless travelling all that way just for one or two hours.

The whole thing (travel and accommodation) cost them a bit but Sirius didn't mind. He had the money – plenty of it – and he reckoned it was worth it for a reconciliation.

Remus had said that he would pay his way but Sirius had refused, saying that it was enough that Remus was going with him to offer support. He still reckoned Remus had pitched in anyway, knowing the other man as he did.

Sirius felt, not for the first time, extremely lucky to have Remus. He knew that he would not have been able to sort it all out on his own. Without the other man, Sirius reckoned he probably wouldn't have been about to see his cousin again. After all, Remus had encouraged him to go on the witch-hunt again and Remus had arranged everything.

Sirius swallowed thickly as it suddenly dawned on him: in only a few hours, he would possibly be seeing Andromeda again.

He blinked dazedly, feeling like he was in some sort of surreal dream. It simultaneously felt like a heavy weight had been lifted from his shoulders but another, heavier weight had settled in his stomach. Grey eyes glanced down at the plate of half eaten food. He had suddenly lost his appetite.

Moving the tray aside, Sirius chucked the covers back and got out of bed. He dressed quickly, pulling on some fresh clothes and feeling clean (having taken a shower the night – or rather early morning – before). He glanced at the clock: 6:43(AM), it read. In only an hour and a half, they would be on a train waiting for it to leave the station.

A fresh wave of anxiety overcame Sirius, making his stomach feel like lead and his heart hammer in his chest. He closed his eyes and tried to calm his nervous energy. He was beginning to feel restless; he needed something to focus on.

Opening his eyes, he moved over to the mirror and stared at himself, picking out flaws in his appearance. Absently, to busy himself, his hands moved up to straighten his collar.

Remus entered the room, then, with only a towel wrapped around his waist, and Sirius watched his movements through the reflective surface. The werewolf was drying his hair with another towel and when he threw it in the corner, his hair was delightfully tousled.

Sirius smiled to himself, admiring Remus as only he was allowed to do.

Remus' hair was often mussed, always looking perfectly windswept since the werewolf rarely bothered to brush it, and Sirius found it charming. The map of scars on Remus' body conveyed a sort of strength that Sirius admired, and he was glad Remus no longer shied away from him; it made him feel empowered, to know Remus trusted him so much.

Without warning, Sirius' admiring was cut short as his anxieties suddenly rose up again; he could no longer focus on his sexy werewolf as he became enshrouded in his own worrisome thoughts once more.

"Sirius, stop thinking," Remus' voice cut through his doubts as the other man moved to stand behind him, chin resting on his shoulder and arms wrapped around his waist. Sirius stared at them both in the mirror. "That's my job," the werewolf smirked.

Sirius released a watery chuckle, but the worry never left his face. Remus observed him for a moment before he pulled back and moved around to stand in front of Sirius. Eyes focused on the Animagus, he linked his arms around Sirius' neck. Sirius' arms automatically came up to loop around Remus' waist, pulling the lean body closer to himself.

They stood like that for a moment before Remus moved a hand to hold Sirius' chin between his forefinger and thumb, tilting Sirius' chin so he could look him in the eye.

"Look at me," Remus demanded softly. Moments later, Sirius obeyed and found himself looking into calm hazel-amber eyes that he loved. "Everything is going to be okay," he assured. "I know it will be."

Sirius frowned, wondering how Remus could sound so sure. "How do you know?"

Remus shrugged breezily. "I just do," he said without hesitation.

Sirius nodded, believing Remus instantly. Remus was rarely ever wrong, and he hadn't needed time to consider his answer like he usually would. The werewolf sounded so sure of himself, as if he honestly believed that everything would work out – and that made Sirius believe it, too.

Sirius smiled, more honestly, and nodded more confidently.

Hazel-amber eyes bore into grey for a second, blocking out the real world and focusing on only each other, before Remus leaned forward and planted a chaste kiss on Sirius' lips, still holding his chin.

They stayed like that for a moment, just lips touching lips, until Remus shifted closer and gently drew Sirius' bottom lip between his own, eliciting a contented sigh from the Animagus.

Remus pecked him once more – a sort of trademark that he had been there, an almost possessive trait and one that Sirius adored – before he pulled back and looked Sirius in the eye reassuringly. Sirius swallowed, feeling his heart melt at the loving gesture, and allowed his hands to glide seamlessly over the werewolf's bare back.

Remus inhaled slowly at the contact and smiled lopsidedly before he planted another brief peck on Sirius' lips and released Sirius' chin. He moved out of the embrace and over to the wardrobe so he could dress.

Sirius watched him for a moment before he finished checking his own appearance, picked up their overnight bags and took them into the living room.

There, he waited patiently for his other half, mindlessly doodling on some spare paper to occupy his mind. He needed a distraction and doodling was his only outlet at that moment since he didn't have time to cook and he had lost his most recent comic book somewhere in the flat.

Soon enough, Remus was ready and he emerged from the bedroom. He walked through the living room to the kitchen, carrying the abandoned tray he had given Sirius earlier that morning.

"Not hungry?" he asked as he passed.

Sirius looked up from his mediocre sketches. "No. Lost my appetite," he replied truthfully.

Remus hummed and quickly washed the dishes while Sirius doodled some more. He soon came back into the living room, checking his watch. Hazel-amber eyes swept across the room and he pointed to random places as he silently ticked things off his mental checklist. Eventually, he turned to Sirius and smiled serenely.

"It's nearly quarter past seven. Have we forgotten anything?"

Sirius glanced around the room from his perch. "Bags full of clothes: check. Sirius the devilishly handsome Animagus: check. Remus the unbelievably sexy werewolf: check." He nodded to himself and looked at Remus. "Yeah, I think we have everything."

Remus rolled his eyes and lowered his head, shaking it and trying to hide the small blush on his cheeks and amused smile on his lips. His efforts were in vain; Sirius saw both the smile and the pink tinge on Remus' cheeks regardless, and he grinned to himself, happy of the reaction he gained.

"IDs, money, tickets," Remus said, holding up said items.

"Yeah, all that stuff, too," Sirius replied breezily.

Remus huffed a laugh and made his way to the door, holding it open and waiting for Sirius. Sirius stood up, picked up the bags and made his way to the door, pecking Remus quickly on the way out. Remus smiled shyly, the adorable pink hue on his cheeks again, and followed the Pureblood out before locking the door and placing some charms on it to avoid burglary or the flat burning down in their absence.

* * *

It was just after 7:45AM when they arrived at the train station, having Apparated to a point nearby and then walked the rest of the way. They were right on schedule, Remus said, and were currently stood in between platforms while Remus sorted everything out (tickets and such) and Sirius stood idly at his side with the bags – one slung over his shoulder, the other in hand.

Sirius glanced at the time on the departure board: 7:23(AM), it read. Feeling his nerves begin to rise, he took a deep breath and decided to distract himself via people-watching.

Grey eyes swept across the station space, watching as people bustled back and forth; some stood in dotted groups – like him and Remus – checking their luggage or train tickets.

As Sirius observed, he thought about how strangely empty the train station looked. It wasn't exactly deserted, but he had expected the place to be a lot more crowded than it was. Admittedly, it was before 8AM on a Saturday; but still, it was **London**. London was always busy.

A nudge on the arm brought Sirius from his musings and Remus said, "This way," before he began walking in a direction. Sirius followed behind, still people-watching.

Once at their platform, they sat down on some cold seats and waited for their train to open up. They were only sat for a few minutes before the doors were opened and they, along with a few other passengers, climbed aboard and quickly found some seats. Sirius shoved the bags overhead and took his seat next to Remus who had settled down and pulled out a new book he had bought a few days earlier.

Sirius made himself comfortable for the oncoming train ride and snuggled into Remus' side, his head resting on the werewolf's shoulder. Remus, eyes never leaving the pages, shifted in his seat as well, lowering his shoulder to make Sirius' position more comfortable. Sirius didn't know if his companion's actions were purposeful or not, but he was grateful nonetheless.

He watched people pass by, going for their seats, and decided that his and Remus' seating positions were acceptable public behaviour since they got few weird looks and Remus didn't say anything.

He knew that they couldn't be too obvious with their affections. They were on a Muggle train and he knew (through Remus' explanations and some personal experience) that Muggles were not as comfortable with PDAs between people of the same sex as Mage were – and Wizards weren't even that comfortable with it; they were just more tolerant.

Remus had explained to him that the Muggle world were not as advanced in their thinking as the Wizarding world and that they would be harassed or shunned were they to do anything too obvious such as kiss or hug non-platonically.

Sirius was disappointed with the Muggle world's development (or lack thereof), but he and Remus were rarely affectionate (that way) in public anyway because Remus was a private person and Sirius respected his need for something that was just theirs. So, he wasn't too bothered about not being open about their relationship right now.

However, since Remus didn't complain (and had actually adjusted his position), Sirius assumed all was okay. He smiled to himself and they waited on the train patiently, Sirius trying to calm his infrequent waves of anxiety and Remus reading peacefully. His bouts of nerves were dissipating and Sirius didn't know why, but he wasn't about to complain. He didn't get nervous often and he loathed the feeling when it did happen.

The train slowly filled up and soon enough, it was ready to leave the station. It gave a jerk and began to move, slowly at first as it pulled out of the station but quickly gaining speed; it ran smoothly along the tracks.

The smooth ride and Remus' familiar warmth made Sirius feel comfortable and his eyes began to droop. It wasn't long before he followed Remus' earlier morning advice and promptly fell asleep.

* * *

Sirius was roused awake by gentle shaking and his name being murmured softly into his ear. Lazily, he cracked one eye open and glanced out of the window to see that the train was slowing down. He groaned tiredly and closed his eyes again, wanting more sleep.

"Padfoot," Remus murmured, "It's time to wake up."

Sirius grunted again but acquiesced and opened his eyes properly. He pulled Remus' wrist towards himself and checked the time: 11:13AM. Unenthusiastically, he sat up straight and stretched out, yawning loudly.

Absently, he calculated his whole sleeping time from the past 24hours; he reckoned he had had about 4-5 hours sleep the previous night and 2½ on the train. In total, he'd had about 7 hours. It was pretty good, all things considered.

Sirius slumped in his seat and waited for the train to slow to a halt while Remus put his book away. The locomotive eventually came to a stop and they got off, quickly getting on the next one – Sirius was glad that they didn't have to wait long for it.

The Animagus spent his time on the second train regaining his nerves and thinking about what was soon to happen. Every now and then, Remus would give him subtle reassurances that everything would be fine; each time he did, Sirius' worries would momentarily leave him. The gestures ranged from a reassuring hand-squeeze to a pat on the knee or shoulder to a smile and nod.

The train finally arrived in the Lake District and after they stepped off, they made their way to the carpark where Remus' booked taxi was waiting for them.

Sirius barely listened when Remus asked the driver to take them to the hotel. When in the automobile, however, Sirius asked why they were going to the hotel first to which Remus explained that it was nearing lunchtime and they needed to check in and put their bags away.

Soon enough, they made it to the Grasmere Hotel and checked into a two-bed suite; this act didn't attract much attention, but Sirius noticed a couple of people watching them. He decided to ignore their stares and he and Remus went up to the room to put their stuff away.

While Remus checked out the bathroom, Sirius dropped himself on one of the single beds and glanced around the bedroom/kitchen/living area. He studied the room in silence for a moment before he frowned at the bed next to the one he was sitting on.

"We're not actually going to sleep in separate beds, are we?" he asked (almost accusingly), trying to hide the disappointment in his tone.

He heard Remus laugh in the bathroom before the werewolf's face peeked out at him through the doorway. "No. It's just for show," he assured, chuckling delightfully.

Sirius nodded. "Good," he retorted. "Don't want to sleep in separate beds."

He heard Remus chuckle again before the man left the bathroom and entered the main room, glancing around judgingly. "I should hope not," he muttered cryptically before he whipped out his wand and held it aloft, muttering inaudible charms.

Remus, ever the cautious one, cast charms on the room to stop all outgoing communications (possible hidden cameras or bugs – yes, he was paranoid, but it was something that Sirius found oddly endearing) and then, once finished, pocketed his wand.

The werewolf strode across the room slowly and Sirius stood up as he sidled closer to him. Once they were within touching distance, barely a few inches separating them, they stared at each other – almost as if daring one another (to do what, Sirius didn't know).

Grey eyes admired for a minute before he leaned in, about to place a kiss on Remus' lips. Remus, however, had different plans and he turned his head away to look out of the window.

"Lovely view, isn't it?" Remus commented, smiling innocently.

Their room was facing a large lake with a horizon full of hills, trees and nature. The April season made the trees bloom with fresh green leaves and different shades of beautiful flowers. It was a nice view, Sirius had to admit, but that was not the view he cared for at that moment. He was too focused on his own personal beautiful view: Remus Lupin.

Sirius nodded, eyes still on the werewolf. "Yes, it is," he replied, wondering if Remus knew the effect he had on him.

Unbidden, nerves surged up inside of him again and Sirius decided he needed a distraction – and Remus was the best distraction he had ever had. He took a last step closer to Remus, effectively closing the space between them, and placed his hands on either side of Remus' neck. Gently, he turned Remus' face towards his and brushed the pads of his thumbs lightly over the faint stubble of Remus' jawline.

Hazel-amber met stormy grey.

An understanding passed between them.

Remus' lips curved into a wicked smile and his arms slipped around Sirius' lithe waist. As the Animagus studied his partner, he pondered what was going through the other man's large brain. Remus looked so calm and untroubled, and it radiated onto Sirius.

For a long moment, Sirius just stared, admiring the other man until he could no longer stand just **looking** and not **doing** anything.

Slowly, Sirius leaned in to kiss Remus, holding him in place so he couldn't turn away again. Lips met gently, brushing lightly over each other, and Remus returned the kiss just as softly. The arms around Sirius' waist tightened, pulling their bodies flush against each other.

Sirius sighed contentedly when he felt knowledgeable hands explore his back, pulling him even closer if possible. A hand slipped into Remus' choppy hair as he kissed the other man tenderly. A sigh-like sound escaped from Remus' lips and Sirius smiled proudly before he kissed the werewolf more passionately, his tongue teasing at Remus'. Remus responded eagerly and, needless to say, neither of them left the hotel room to get food that afternoon.

* * *

 **A/N: Research was done for the trains, but apologies if it is wrong; I do not live in London but I have visited the Lake District (multiple times).  
Pre-Warning: the next chapter contains a sex scene, but if you don't want to read that, then skip to the end as there is an important scene.**


	4. Part IV

**Finding Andromeda  
Originally written: 11.07.16 – Rewritten: 06-12.02.17**

 **DISCLAIMER:** **See previous chapter.**

* * *

 **Part IV**

* * *

The kiss transformed quickly into one of passion as Sirius ran his tongue teasingly along Remus' bottom lip, begging for access. Remus' lips parted immediately and Sirius slipped in to explore the werewolf's mouth thoroughly. As he did so, he slowly rotated them and guided Remus backwards to the bed.

As they reversed, Sirius allowed his hands to travel. He ran them enticingly away from Remus' neck, down subtly strong arms, and over Remus' clothed chest where he paused for a moment. His nimble fingers focused on Remus' nipples through the shirt, eliciting a hum of approval from the werewolf, before he continued his journey and slipped his hands under Remus' cardigan around the werewolf's lithe waist to hold the other man closer.

A jolt shook the couple as Remus' legs hit the edge of the bed. The kiss didn't break, luckily, and they shared a brief giggle against each other's lips before returning to their momentarily interrupted task. Lips occupied, Sirius shoved the grey cardigan off svelte shoulders and Remus threw it away carelessly.

Sirius pulled back and grinned when Remus' lips followed, trying to keep the liplock going. When Remus' eyes opened, he stared at Sirius questioningly. Grinning, Sirius pushed a startled Remus onto the bed and Remus stared up at him, his hazel-amber eyes looking darker than usual as they roamed over Sirius.

Sirius smirked devilishly and slowly removed his jacket, dropping it in a heap on the floor before he pulled his top off. His grin widened as he watched Remus' eyes trail over his torso hungrily. Finished stripping his upper body, he slowly climbed atop Remus and straddled the other man.

He leaned down and captured Remus' lips again, sighing silently when sure hands wandered over his bare skin gently – soft touches mapping his arms and back. Remus' touch was compelling, Sirius mused. Feather-light but firm, possessive and wholly addictive. It left a trail of fire behind, lighting his skin and making him crave more.

Sirius shuffled forward, unconsciously trying to get as close to Remus as humanly possible, and began unbuttoning Remus' shirt while his tongue explored the mouth he knew so well.

Remus' shirt was halfway undone when Sirius was forced to pause, the werewolf's strong hands wrapping around his wrists and carefully moving him away from the shirt. Pulling back so he could see Remus' face clearly, he stared curiously.

"Sirius, wait..." Remus murmured, his breath a little short as he stared up at Sirius. "Wait."

Sirius sat up properly, still straddling Remus, and pushed the half undone shirt aside to place his hands – Remus still bracketing his wrists – flat on the werewolf's hirsute chest. He began mindlessly massaging the pale, crisscrossed skin. As he observed his werewolf, he couldn't help but smile proudly at the other man's dishevelled appearance – Remus' hair was tousled beautifully, his eyes dark and lips swollen, and his clothes were half hanging off.

"What's wrong?" he finally asked, wondering why Remus had stopped them.

Remus swallowed and released Sirius, pushing himself up to rest on his elbows as he watched the Animagus carefully. Sirius' hands didn't move from their place.

"It's just..." Remus began, blinking as he tried to sort out his jumbled thoughts; he studied Sirius. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

Sirius frowned and smiled, confused. "Yeah," he answered. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Remus sighed. "I don't know," he shrugged. "I mean. Well, you're probably really stressed. With everything that's happening. Maybe you're not thinking straight? I don't want this to be just... You know? I don't want to take advantage of you."

Sirius stared for a moment before he snorted, startling Remus. "Remus," he chuckled. "As much as I appreciate you checking with me every time – it's endearing, really – I would tell you if I didn't want to. I know what I want, Moony."

His hand drifted down Remus' chest and stomach lightly, Remus' muscles tensing with the lightness of his touch. "And right now," he continued, his hand eventually coming down to rest on Remus' bulge, "I want this."

He gave a gentle squeeze, smirking when Remus' eyes snapped shut and he swore under his breath. Sirius moved his hand away and placed one on either side of Remus, leaning down so he was closer to Remus' face.

"Trust me," he said, his voice low. Remus opened his eyes and metallic grey caught onto amber-hazel. "I know what I'm doing." He rolled his hips and grinned roguishly, delighting in the small growl he stole from Remus. "Really," he continued thoughtfully. "I'm taking advantage of you. I need you to distract me. Please?"

Remus swallowed hard and nodded. "Okay," he replied. "Alright. If you're sure."

"I am," Sirius said seriously. "But," he added. "If you don't want to, we don't have to."

"I do," Remus assured, his quick reply making Sirius smile. "Only if you're sure, though."

Sirius shook his head affectionately and looked into Remus' eyes. "I am," he repeated before he leaned down to kiss Remus softly. He pulled back seconds later and added, "But thank you for asking."

Remus nodded. "Okay," he smiled. "Good. Uh, you're welcome?"

They shared a smile before Sirius leaned in and Remus met him halfway, their lips joining and tongues battling again. Remus' hands came up to explore Sirius' uncovered skin once again, and Sirius began finishing unbuttoning Remus' shirt.

Finally finished the last button, Sirius pushed the shirt apart completely and his hands met and explored more bare skin. Under his touch, Sirius could feel heated skin and soft scars that littered Remus' torso (produced from nights spent under the full moons). He could feel Remus react to him – muscles tensed, low noises were emitted, and breathing hitched whenever his elegant fingers trailed over the werewolf's skin delicately.

He smiled, proud that only he could make Remus react in such ways.

His explorations were stopped abruptly when, in the next moment, Sirius found himself on his back with Remus looming over him. He stared up, slightly disoriented from the sudden movement, and watched as the werewolf sat back. Remus shrugged his shirt off, letting it fall away easily, before he moved to hover over Sirius again. They stared at each other for a moment before Sirius glanced around them.

"This bed's rather soft, isn't it?" he murmured.

Remus chuckled and nodded his agreement before he leaned down to brush his lips against Sirius' lightly. He moved away too soon and began trailing his lips down Sirius' body, planting soft, open-mouthed kisses across Sirius' heated skin as he moved.

Lips travelled slowly away from Sirius', across his cheek and down his neck. Sirius tilted his head to the side to grant better access, and Remus focused on his pulse point for a moment, sucking and nibbling and making Sirius hum with approval.

Remus moved on and travelled down Sirius' chest and stomach. His hands played at Sirius' nipples momentarily, making the nubs hard, as he mouthed at Sirius' hipbone. Sirius moaned wantonly and Remus continued his journey further south.

Sirius lifted his head and watched as Remus drifted farther down his body, stopping at his jeans. Manly hands moved to his button and zipper, and Remus looked up at Sirius, almost as if asking for permission. Sirius nodded and Remus carried on, unbuttoning and pulling down the zip.

The werewolf then proceeded to pull Sirius' jeans and boxers down. Sirius lifted and dropped his hips once he was free of the confines of clothing, and he sighed with relief as his cock was freed. Remus yanked the lower garments off and threw them behind himself before he crawled up Sirius' body again and dropped a quick, needlessly passionate, kiss on Sirius' lips.

Remus pulled back and Sirius opened his eyes, catching the darkened amber-hazel gaze above him.

"Watch me," Remus ordered softly.

Sirius nodded mutely and watched as Remus glided smoothly down his body and stopped at his lower half. Remus sat back on his haunches and stared at Sirius unabashedly, greedily taking in the naked form of Sirius lying on the bed.

At one point, Sirius used to feel somewhat self-conscious with his complete nudity. He knew Remus understood. The werewolf used to be extremely insecure also – more so than him. But with each other, they never felt body-conscious. Sirius felt safe and secure, unjudged and wanted. Remus didn't mind being naked in front of him anymore either, Sirius knew.

Sirius couldn't ever feel worried about what Remus thought about him – not with the way the werewolf looked at him, almost as if he was worshipping Sirius' body with his eyes. The look in Remus' eyes was always one of love and want and trust, and Sirius always felt worthy.

Remus' eyes trailed up and down Sirius' body, greedily taking in every detail, before they travelled down to Sirius' proudly jutting cock. His face was neutral but his dark eyes revealed what he was truly thinking/feeling. He licked his lips unconsciously, making them glisten, and glanced up to make sure Sirius was watching before he leaned down and tentatively licked the tip of Sirius' member.

Sirius inhaled sharply. His eyes threatened to close as he let himself sink into the feeling of Remus' tongue swirling around the head of his erection but he kept them open and on Remus – past experience teaching him that if he looked away, Remus would pull away until he had his full attention again.

Amber-hazel latched onto silver as Remus slowly took Sirius into his mouth. Sirius' respiration quickened as Remus sucked lightly, his tongue teasingly gliding along the underside and caressing the thick vein there. While Remus' mouth was occupied, his hands stroked over Sirius' legs. Sirius allowed his legs to be guided so they were bent on either side of Remus' body, his knees pointing upwards.

A breathy moan escaped him as Remus took him in deeper and his cock was encased by the talented mouth of his partner. Wet, hot suction engulfed him and he gave himself over to feeling, coherent thought abandoning him. As Remus' tongue swiped around him, he forgot about the world and his worries and anxieties, and focused on everything **Remus**.

He threw his head back momentarily, enjoying that talented orifice around him and the warm hands caressing his legs, before he returned to watching Remus.

With each suck, Remus took him deeper, swallowing him inch by inch, and Sirius watched with rapt interest. He followed Remus' pace rather than led it and when Remus sucked hard, he couldn't stop himself from plunging his fingers into short brown choppy hair.

Remus' head bobbed up and down on him, and Sirius' attention divided between looking into Remus' eyes and watching Remus' mouth as his cock reappeared and disappeared. He watched in awe as Remus worked on him earnestly, setting a fast and furious pace on his shaft.

Remus' eyes closed, as if sucking on Sirius' cock was the most delightful thing he could ever do, and he sucked harder. Sirius' breathing quickened and he began to feel that familiar feeling pool in his abdomen. Deciding he didn't want it to be over yet, he tightened his grip in Remus' hair and tugged gently, urging Remus to stop.

"R-Remus," he gasped, his other hand moving to grasp at Remus' shoulder. "You need to..."

He broke off with a low moan as his toes curled and his orgasm rushed towards him. His hand gripped Remus' shoulder urgently, bruisingly, and Remus got the message, pulling off Sirius' prick just in time and grasping him hard to halt his orgasm. Remus looked up, and Sirius almost came as he studied a very debauched looking Remus Lupin – shirtless with swollen lips, lust-blown eyes, and mussed hair.

Sirius took a moment to compose himself before he pulled Remus up and crashed their lips together frantically. Remus met him eagerly and lost his handling, his chest crashing into Sirius' and knocking them both back onto the bed. Their noses bumped and they laughed briefly, muttering apologies, before they returned to their previous task of kissing.

Sirius felt Remus' concealed hardness poke his naked thigh and he pulled back abruptly, desperate to be closer to Remus. "Where's your wand?" he asked urgently.

Remus took a moment to absorb Sirius' words, frowning a little as his lust-clouded mind tried to focus on Sirius' question. "Er... In my pocket. In my cardigan," he answered.

Sirius nodded. "Get your kit off, then," he grinned before he pushed Remus away.

The werewolf landed on his back and hurried to follow Sirius' instruction. He shoved his jeans and underwear down and kicked them off as Sirius leaned over the edge of the bed to grab Remus' cardigan and search for the wand. He found it quickly and emerged victorious as he sat back up on the bed. He looked next to him and found a fully unclothed (socks as well) Remus, ready and waiting.

Sirius allowed himself a moment – as Remus had earlier – to study the other man's naked form.

Molten silver travelled over Remus' slightly marred but perfectly toned torso and down his stomach before lingering for a moment on Remus' perfect prick: long and thick and flush pink, with wiry brown hair nestled around it. He continued down Remus' long legs until an obvious cough interrupted him and he looked back at Remus' face, grinning unashamedly.

"Just admiring the view," he excused lightly, making Remus smile.

Remus looked around them and murmured, "We need to widen the bed."

Sirius glanced around them also and realised they were both way too big for the Queen-sized bed. In all honesty, he was surprised (and quite impressed) that neither of them had fallen off.

He nodded in agreement and stood up, deciding to use Remus' wand to do the charm. He enlarged the bed, chuckling when Remus startled and gripped onto the sheets as it grew beneath him. Sirius and Remus both winced when the bedside table knocked over and created a loud crash. Sirius, however, couldn't find it in himself to care much – though, he did inwardly vow to fix it later.

Bed suitably enlarged, Sirius climbed on top of Remus again and straddled the werewolf's thighs, their cocks close to meeting. Bare skin met bare skin and Sirius shuffled closer, trying to get **more** – more contact, more warmth, more of that familiar safe feeling that he always got when with Remus. Remus sat up and their cocks brushed, eliciting a low moan from Remus and a sharp inhale from Sirius.

Sirius linked his arms around Remus' neck and pulled the werewolf closer to himself, their chests brushing slightly. His skin was sensitised and every inch of him that was touching Remus was hyperaware. Lips brushed gently and he pushed the other man back to lie down.

He reached for Remus' hands – that were rested on his waist – and pinned them above Remus' head on the pillow, lacing their fingers together affectionately as he poured his heart into the kiss. Moments later, he pulled back and smiled down at Remus.

"Uh," Remus stumbled. "Do you want me to—?"

Sirius shook his head. "No," he said. "It's fine. I want to."

"Are you sure?" Remus questioned. "It's just... Well, it's been a while since you—"

Sirius smiled amusedly and clamped a hand over Remus' mouth. "Do I look like I'm complaining, Moony?" he asked, amusement clear in his voice. "I like receiving, okay? So, just sit back and let me do the work, yeah?"

Remus nodded mutely.

Sirius' smile faltered momentarily as he took Remus into consideration. "Unless you want to bottom?" he asked uncertainly, removing his hand.

Remus shrugged. "You know I don't mind," he replied.

Sirius nodded. "Well, I want to bottom. Maybe you can next time, yeah?"

Remus shrugged again. "If you want."

Sirius grinned and kissed Remus lightly. "I want," he assured before he pulled back and sat up, holding the wand out for Remus. "You know the spells better."

Remus nodded and took his wand. He placed it at Sirius' hip and muttered the necessary spells. Both Remus and Sirius jerked as the first spell took action – a protection spell. They didn't need it but Remus always said it was better to be safe than sorry.

Sirius closed his eyes and frowned as the second spell took place, stretching and preparing him. Being prepared via magic as opposed to the manual way was always slightly discomfiting. It was fast and impersonal; but it was needed at that moment, Sirius supposed. He tried to relax as it took place. It was uneasy to begin with – as it usually was – but he soon got used to it.

Remus then muttered the third and final spell, and an oily sensation filled Sirius, surprising him slightly with how cold it was. It soothed the burn of being magically stretched and he relished the contrast.

Sirius took the wand from Remus and pushed the werewolf back to rest against the pillow. He whispered his own spell, slicking Remus' shaft up with a similar oily substance, and fisted Remus' cock, making sure it was well-lubed and gleaming handsomely. Releasing Remus, Sirius dropped the wand soundlessly onto the cardigan and raised himself up before he shuffled forward. Blindly, he reached behind himself and grabbed the long erection, positioning himself.

"Ready?" he asked, hovering over Remus.

Remus nodded jerkily, words seeming to have abandoned him, and he watched Sirius with intensely dark eyes. He placed his hands on Sirius' hips and Sirius nodded back, placing one hand on Remus' chest for balance while the other guided Remus' member.

With great control, Sirius lowered himself down and Remus entered him. Eyes closed as he felt the blunt tip of Remus' cock slip into him with barely any resistance, stretching him wider. He sunk down, pausing every now and then for both of them to catch their breaths, and rocked his hips, rising and falling minimally. Slowly, they worked together until Sirius was finally, **eventually** , filled with Remus completely, seated fully on the werewolf's length.

They stilled for a moment, taking the time to adjust to their new sense of closeness and intimacy. Silver eyes opened and locked onto amber-hazel, and their breathing and heartbeats synchronised. They shared a small, affectionate smile and Remus stared at Sirius with eyes full of a fire that went straight to his groin.

As Sirius gazed down at his partner, he couldn't stop the swell in his chest. He couldn't describe it – the multitude of difficult-to-articulate feelings that he felt at that moment – but he knew he felt happy. Ecstatic, really. He felt lucky and unbelievably loved. He felt connected to Remus – in body and soul.

Cloudy grey held amber flecked hazel, and the bubble in Sirius' chest grew at the look in Remus' eyes. He felt fit to explode with the elation he harboured. Remus was inside of him, filling him and making him feel wanted and loved and secure. Remus, who he had spent months trying to convince to give him a shot. Remus, who loved him – **really** loved him. He still sometimes couldn't believe it.

Sirius leaned down and kissed Remus tenderly, trying to simmer down the overgrowing emotions inside of him. The realisation that Remus was his and his alone made the bubble expand and he kissed Remus harder, his hands closing into fists against Remus' chest.

Pulling back, away from Remus' enticing lips, Sirius straightened up and held Remus' gaze as he rose up, his arse clenching as it refused to release Remus. When he was almost completely empty, he slowly lowered himself back down, grinning smugly when Remus muttered profanities under his breath and hissed something that sounded suspiciously like Sirius' name.

He rose and sank again, slowly fucking himself on Remus' cock, and he focused on the man beneath him, **inside** him.

Fucking or shagging or, as Lily would probably refer to it, 'making love to' Remus always helped Sirius to forget and just live in the moment. It helped him to forget his worries and fears, to forget the rest of the world. When they were together, it was only them two and he felt at peace.

Being on top always gave Sirius a sense of control and he rode the werewolf in a steady rhythmic pace, rising and falling and rolling his hips. Remus met him each time, thrusting up every time the Animagus let gravity pull him down. Remus' hands clamped down on his hips and Sirius flattened his palms on the werewolf's chest as they worked.

They moved together, knowing exactly what to do and how to gain a reaction.

Every rise, Sirius clenched his arse and made Remus grunt and furrow his brow. His hands massaged and kneaded Remus' bare chest absentmindedly. Remus' firm hands moved from Sirius' hips to his legs, rubbing up and down his thighs. Sirius found the action to be comforting and affectionate, and the feather-light touches caused him to mutter Remus' name under his breath every now and again accompanied by his panting breaths.

"Fuck... Remus..."

As they performed their dance, Sirius greedily drank in every reaction he gained from Remus – every moan and gasp, every muttered swearword, every shudder/shiver and fumble at words. He observed Remus' facial expressions, the closed eyes and furrowed brow – both signalling to him that the werewolf was getting close.

Deciding that he wanted to come with Remus, he quickened his pace and flattened his palms across werewolf's chest for leverage as he rode Remus harder.

His legs were beginning to burn with the exercise but he ignored it and focused on bringing himself closer to the edge to fall off the precipice of bliss with Remus. The other wizard took up slack and pounded up into Sirius harder, raising up faster to meet Sirius' quickened pace.

Sirius closed his eyes and fucked himself on Remus vigorously, gaining speed as his need to come increased. Panting hard, he leaned forward and his hands slipped from Remus' chest to plant on either side of Remus' head. Their chests brushed with every breath and Sirius noted happily that Remus' breathing was rapidly increasing as well.

Sirius shifted forward to kiss the werewolf but the movement caused the angle to be just right and he yelped when Remus' cock brushed over his prostate. The noise he produced sounded like a mix between a bark and a moan, and his eyes clenched shut tightly, allowing colour to fly out behind his eyelids.

Remus bucked his hips up harshly and brushed over that small magnificent nub of nerves again, making Sirius cry out again and push down for more friction. Remus grunted, Sirius pulsating around him, and repeated the bold movements eagerly. Sirius sped up, going faster and harder, and Remus' length hit that perfect little spot of pleasure buried in him each time.

This new fast and furious pace made Remus brush over his prostate again and again, and Remus' hand moved between their bodies to wrap about Sirius' sorely neglected cock. He stroked Sirius in tandem with his thrusts and Sirius gripped the bedsheets so tight that his knuckles turned white.

He leaned down and kissed Remus messily, his body leaning into Remus' as they moved together in perfect harmony. Remus' other hand gripped his hip tightly, kneading the soft skin there, and Sirius rested his head against Remus', breathing with the other man.

Feeling himself coming closer to the edge, Sirius nuzzled his face into Remus' neck and shivered when he felt Remus' short, sharp breaths fan out over his shoulder. Remus kissed his collarbone and, after a few more thrusts, Sirius felt the all-familiar pressure build in his lower stomach again. Breathing heavily, he tried to find his voice.

"Re-Remus..." he panted. "I'm c-close..." he warned, stuttering. "Are you?"

Remus grunted something close to an affirmative and Sirius felt him nod. He grinned against Remus' neck, immodestly happy to be the only person in the world who was allowed to turn Remus into an incoherent mess of need and love.

Their combined rhythm became rapid and needy, and Remus' almost possessive ministrations on Sirius' member sped up, allowing Sirius to **feel** – to be vulnerable and exposed and all Remus'.

" _Fuck_ ," he muttered into Remus' neck before he turned his face and caught Remus' lips.

With one last stoke and one perfectly timed thrust at the right angle, Sirius buried his face in Remus' neck and moaned loudly as he came in hard spurts and clenched uncontrollably around Remus. He cried out his release and gave himself over to ecstasy, spilling his seed over Remus' hand and coating both of their stomachs.

He continued rolling his hips as he rode out his orgasm, encouraged by Remus' jerky thrusts and strong hands guiding him to keep moving. Mere seconds later, Remus grunted and his grip on Sirius' hip firmed. Fingertips dug bruisingly into Sirius' skin as he was pulled down and Remus pushed into him, burying himself completely inside the Animagus. Remus climaxed and growled under his breath – the sound making Sirius' prick twitch – and came, arching off the bed.

" _S...Siriusss..._ " he hissed as he reached his orgasmic bliss.

Sirius continued rolling his hips lazily as he felt Remus' cock pulse inside of him and he rode the werewolf until they were both finished their strong orgasms.

Spent and completely sated, they collapsed together in a heap, both breathing heavily as they tried to regain their wits. They lay there for a long while – Sirius straddling Remus, face buried in the werewolf's neck, while Remus traced lazy patterns on his back and down his arms.

Sirius didn't know how long they stayed there for before he pushed himself off Remus, reckoning he was getting too heavy and not liking the rapidly cooling sticky mess between them. The werewolf's now-flaccid penis slipped out of him and he groaned at the loss but flopped down onto the bed next to the other wizard.

He fell back against the mattress and frowned, wondering why there wasn't a soft pillow beneath his tired head. Then he remembered that they were in a hotel room, on a bed that he had made bigger.

Humming absentmindedly, Sirius turned onto his side and shifted close to the motionless werewolf. He rested his head on Remus' shoulder and tangled their legs together as he draped his arm over Remus' waist, ignoring the mess there.

Remus lazily turned onto his side as well and they watched each other for a silent moment. Sirius shuffled closer to Remus and rested his head on the white hotel pillow, sharing it with the other man.

"You okay?" Remus asked quietly.

Sirius smiled at the concern and nodded. "I'm fine. Thanks. For the distraction and everything," he replied. "What about you?"

Remus moved his hand up to rest on Sirius' face, his thumb tracing over the Animagus' stubbled jaw. "I'm fine," he answered.

Silence reigned over them again and they observed each other, admiring one another in the daylight unabashedly. Sirius had always thought Remus looked beautiful after sex – face glowing, eyes bright and hair tousled in that just-shagged way. He especially liked daytime sex with Remus because it meant he could see Remus clearly, and he liked looking at Remus.

He watched Remus study him carefully – as if the werewolf was memorising him, something he did after each of their intimate moments – before he closed his eyes and enjoyed Remus' graceful fingers running over his jaw, touching him with such tenderness it made his chest contract. He smiled to himself and cherished the silence and gentle caresses.

"I like it when you do that," Remus murmured after a little while, breaking the comfortable silence and making Sirius open his eyes to look at him questioningly. "Your thumb," he explained.

Sirius noticed suddenly that his thumb was moving in tantric circles on Remus' waist. He glanced at his pollex, surprised by his unconscious behaviour, before he looked back at Remus and smiled innocently.

"I like doing that," he replied quietly, making Remus smile. He glanced around the room and noticed the subtle light change. "What time is it?" he asked.

"Uh..." Remus glanced at the timepiece on his wrist and frowned. "Shit," he muttered, returning his eyes to Sirius'. "It's nearly two. We need to get going soon."

Sirius nodded and felt the beginnings of his nerves return. "Right," he murmured before he grabbed Remus' hand and turned his face to kiss the strong manus. The action comforted him, knowing Remus was there with him – for him. "We should go if we want to make it there for three," he muttered against the slightly scarred limb.

Remus nodded and watched Sirius place soft kisses on his hand. "Yeah... We should shower as well. We're a bit messy," he noted, his eyes trailing down to their chests.

"Agreed."

Remus yawned and leaned forward to kiss Sirius quickly before he rolled off the bed and stood up, stretching out. He made his way toward the bathroom – Sirius watching his naked form walk away – before he stopped at the door and glanced over his shoulder.

"You want to join me?" he asked enticingly, his voice and eyes suggestive.

Sirius grinned. "If I ever say no to that, you should be deeply worried," he said solemnly as he immediately climbed off the bed and made his way to the bathroom for round two.

* * *

"Sirius, it's past half two. We have to go," Remus said as they stepped out into the hallway, Remus checking his watch while Sirius struggled to lock the room door behind them.

"I know," Sirius muttered, frowning down at the door handle. "I just... How do you lock the door?" he asked reluctantly, staring at the card in his hand and the ajar door.

Remus stared at him for a moment before he leaned across, grabbed the handle and pulled the door shut. "Like that," he stated dryly before he began walking down the corridor towards the lift.

Sirius frowned at the door and tried to open it but found that he couldn't. He looked at the card in his hand and cautiously put it in the slot before he pushed the handle down again. He grinned widely when the door swung open straight away. Sirius had never been to a Muggle hotel before and he wondered: Did they all have weird card things?

"Padfoot! Come on," Remus called down the hallway from where he stood by the lift.

Sirius decided to be amazed by the Muggle contraption later and he closed the door again. He quickly tried to open it to check that it was definitely locked before he briskly made his way to Remus and the open lift.

He stepped into the lift and stood in the corner as it made its way to the main floor. He had heard some people call it an 'elevator' but Remus' word ('lift') seemed to stick in his mind whenever he thought of them. He quickly jumped out when it stopped – he didn't trust those things.

As he hopped out of the doors, he heard Remus try to conceal a chuckle at his disdain for the Muggle machines. The werewolf was unsuccessful at hiding his amusement, however, and ended up laughing outright. Sirius frowned and muttered, _"Shut up,"_ as they exited the building.

Once Remus had regained his composure, he led them down the small street near their Hotel. Sirius followed blindly, trusting that Remus knew his way around. He was about to ask how Remus knew his way when the werewolf seemed to read his mind.

"I used to come here as a child," he explained. "Holidays with my family. We used to come all the time before...my accident. Afterwards, we stopped for a little. But when I was old enough – around eight or so – we came back. We'd come in between transformations, and at least once in the summers. It was always fun. It always helped me to forget everything – the landscapes and freedom of this place. It just...always seemed to calm me, you know?"

Sirius nodded and watched Remus interestedly, smiling as he realised that there was still a plethora of new things to learn about Remus. Despite having known his werewolf for as long as he had, there were still new things to discover.

"I was quite surprised that Andromeda was living up here," Remus continued. "It's quite... muddy. A bit too...I don't know...too countryside for her? I don't know. It's just not where I would have expected her to go."

"Yeah, well, she was always one for trying something new," Sirius said fondly.

Remus stopped suddenly and Sirius ran into him. Remus glanced over and Sirius held his hands up in defence – as if to say: _'I_ _t wasn't my fault'._ Which it wasn't, really. Remus could have given him a bit of warning that he would be stopping dead in his tracks. Remus rolled his eyes and looked away down the road.

"I rang for a taxi while you were getting dressed. Said they'd pick us up from here."

Sirius nodded. "Okay..." he trailed off as, just like that, he remembered why they were there.

He had temporarily forgotten why they were in the Lake District – with the second round in the shower, and then listening to Remus' calm voice talk about his childhood, Sirius had momentarily forgotten everything. He hadn't realised, but at some point, his nerves and worrisome thoughts had gone away. They were back with a vengeance now, though, he thought bitterly.

A black taxi pulled up to the curb and the passenger window rolled down to reveal a man with a scruffy ginger beard and dark bushy eyebrows.

"Lupin?" the gruff man asked.

Remus nodded and opened the door for Sirius. Sirius climbed in shakily and collapsed in the backseat, frowning at his odd behaviour. He was annoyed with himself for his anxious behaviour. It was so unlike his normal self. Sirius Black was cool and indifferent. He was confidence personified. He was not a nervous overthinker.

Sighing, he raised a hand and scrubbed at his eyes with his thumb and swear-finger. Remus climbed in after him and checked with the driver about the address. The driver confirmed the given address and then they were off. Sirius stared out of the window and watched the small town pass by, quickly turning into beautiful natural scenery. He tried to focus on the calm landscapes and lakes but his tumultuous thoughts persisted.

A hand slipped into his and Sirius looked down at their joint hands, feeling a sense of calmness and serenity overcome him. Remus gave a gentle squeeze and Sirius felt tranquillity roll off the other man in waves and sink into him. He glanced up at Remus and smiled shakily, gratefully, before he turned back to the window. He didn't want Remus to see him so distressed but the werewolf seemed to know anyway.

As he stared out of the window, he realised (once again) just how glad he was that Remus was there with him. He squeezed Remus' hand and recalled an earlier thought – one of not being able to do any of it without Remus.

The journey passed quicker than Sirius would have liked and, before he knew it, they had made it to their destination. The taxi drove through some large black gates and made its way up a gravelly driveway, passing bushes and trees and various other colourful plant life.

Eventually the car pulled to a stop outside the house, and Sirius stared at it through the window. The residence was massive and had the essence of Tudor style, with the white sections and long beams on the roof and windows.

Sirius payed no mind as Remus paid the driver and waited for him to make the first move. Instead, he stared at the house apprehensively, a small worried crease in his brow. He was interrupted from his observing when Remus spoke.

"You ready?" he asked attentively, hand still in Sirius'.

Sirius nodded once and climbed out of the car before he could change his mind. He heard Remus thank the driver and saw Remus climb out of the other side.

Turning to face the house, he stood stock-still and took in the whole scene. His most prominent thought, as he took in the entirety of the front garden and the large house, was that Andromeda had clearly done well for herself – judging by where and how she lived.

He felt Remus move to stand beside him and he sighed, feeling comfort in the warmth that radiated off his partner. He heard the taxi crunch on the gravel as it turned around and left them behind. Remus gazed at the house with him, and they stood there, just looking, for a while.

"What if she doesn't want to see me?" Sirius finally asked, his voice small and lacking its usual boisterousness.

Remus looked at him. "You'll never know if you don't try. Life's too short for what ifs, Padfoot."

Sirius nodded, eyes still fixed on the house, and he took one large final deep breath before he strode purposefully up the path toward the house. Remus followed behind at a more leisurely (less insistent) pace.

Finally stood outside of the large white door, Sirius stared at it and tried to control his nerves and adrenaline. Behind him, he heard Remus' footsteps crackle on the gravel. The footsteps stopped and Sirius nodded faintly, answering the unspoken questions he knew Remus was dying to ask – _'_ _Are you okay? Can you do this?'_

With the reassurances that Remus was there, Sirius brought up his hand and knocked loudly on the door. He took a cautious step back and waited for an answer. Grey eyes widened as a sudden thought shot through his mind.

"Shit," he hissed. "What if she's not in?" he asked, turning to Remus. Unfortunately, Remus didn't seem to have an answer and he shrugged back in response.

A sudden clap as the letterbox snapped shut brought Sirius' attention back to the door and he realised, with a little bit of panic, that somebody had been looking at them through it, watching them. Nervously, Sirius stumbled down the steps and fell into line with Remus. They heard the door crackle. It sounded as if someone was unlocking it, removing chains and locks.

The door opened slightly, revealing no one, before it was swung open.

"Who are you?"


	5. Part V

**Finding Andromeda  
Originally written: 11.07.16 – Rewritten: 12-16.02.17**

 **DISCLAIMER: See previous chapter.**

* * *

 **Part V**

* * *

 _"Who are you?"_

A perplexed Sirius Black frowned down at the small figure in the doorway. Standing there, with her hands on her hips and attitude pouring out of her, was a small girl with shoulder length blue hair and a fringe. A small frown graced her delicate features and her stance screamed defensiveness.

Sirius hid an amused smile when he realised that the child was trying (and failing) to be intimidating. She looked to be only about seven or eight years old and she was wearing a top with a unicorn on it. Not even a real unicorn. A pink cartoon unicorn. Wholly unrealistic, he knew. Everything about her stated cuteness – from her blue hair and pink top to her adorable frown and pout. He stifled a laugh, faking it as a cough, as he stared at the child who had narrowed her eyes at him.

"Dora?" someone called from inside the depths of the house.

Sirius' smile faltered and he froze at the sound of the voice – **her** voice. He recognised it immediately. The tone was unmistakeable: uncompromisingly soft and still holding the aristocratic lilt that he himself had. He tried to swallow the lump that had suddenly formed in his throat.

"Dora?" she called again. "What are you doing? Who is it?"

And then suddenly, there she was, in front of him, standing in the doorway and moving the child out of the way. The tall woman moved the girl back and turned to look out of the entranceway, her dark brown eyes widening when she saw him.

For a split-second, the ex-Black looked hesitant, and Sirius held his breath as she stared at him blankly. Her mouth opened, as if to say something, but she promptly closed it. It seemed her words were stuck in her throat as she coughed lightly and, without moving her eyes from the man in front of her, spoke.

"Dora," she said, her voice hoarse. "Go inside, please."

The child – 'Dora' – frowned up at Andromeda but obeyed and disappeared back into the house. Slowly, almost cautiously, Andromeda stepped out of her doorway and floated elegantly down the stone steps. She stood there for a moment, her eyes never leaving Sirius, before she took another step towards him.

Sirius swallowed thickly and took a hesitant step forward also. He gave a tentative smile and was immensely relieved when she smiled back and threw herself at him, enshrouding him in a bone-crushingly tight hug. He released a breath he hadn't realised he had been holding and relaxed into the hug, wrapping his arms around the thin frame.

He held on tight, arms pulling her closer as he tried to convey all that he couldn't say in words; all of his emotions, and how much he had missed her. It seemed she was trying to reciprocate the message as she somehow managed to strengthen her grip on him. They stood like that for a long while, just embracing, before Andromeda spoke.

"Sirius, is it really you?" she asked, her question muffled slightly by his shoulder. She sounded incredulous, as if she couldn't let herself trust it could really be him.

Sirius nodded and, though his throat felt closed up, he forced himself to choke out a, "Yes."

It was another moment before the hug ended, Andromeda reluctantly pulling back. She didn't release him, however, and kept her hands clasped firmly on his biceps – as if afraid that he would disappear, should she let go.

Sirius watched as her dark eyes studied him, the expression on her face one of thinly veiled disbelief. Her eyes eventually landed on his face and she examined him with great care, smiling bashfully as she did so. Sirius noticed, with no small amount of shock, that his cousin had welled up. But she didn't allow her tears to fall.

Sirius' eyes traced over his cousin's visage, noting the obviously Black features – the high cheekbones and elegant eyebrows. To him, she hadn't changed. Not really. Her hair had greyed slightly and she had a few lines on her face – signs that she had smiled and laughed: evidence of a joyous life. He reckoned that to her, he probably looked much different to the last time they had seen each other.

Andromeda stepped back, her hands keeping their grip on his upper arms, and looked him up and down before her eyes met his again.

"You're so tall," she stated, emitting a watery laugh.

Sirius shrugged and grinned sheepishly, feeling oddly self-aware. He was unused to being called tall, especially since he was friends with Remus and James, both of whom were taller than him. Andromeda finally released him, her hands dropping to her sides, and her gaze moved past Sirius. Sirius noticed her shifted attention and turned to find Remus standing slightly behind him, smiling politely.

"Oh, er, this is Remus," he said, motioning the other man over to them. Remus complied and came to stand at his side. Sirius turned back to his cousin and smiled nervously. "He's my... We're... together," he said cautiously, wary of how she might react.

Sirius didn't know how she would respond to the news. He hadn't seen her in years, after all. For all he knew, her morals and views could have changed since they last met. The other Blacks hadn't been particularly happy when they discovered where his interests lay, and he wondered if any of their lessons still remained in her. He doubted they did, but he had learned to be cautious.

A look of shock flitted over her face for a millisecond before she nodded and her mouth curved into a supportive smile. She turned to Remus, studied him for a moment, and then held out her hand.

"Andromeda Tonks," she introduced politely.

Remus smiled and shook her hand. "Remus Lupin," he replied.

Andromeda gave Sirius one last brief inspection before she glanced at her house. "Well," she said. "You had better come inside."

With that, she turned and began walking back up the steps. Sirius and Remus followed behind and she led them through the large building. They followed her down a long hallway and Sirius glanced idly at the large picture frames and paintings hung on the walls.

As they wandered down the lengthy hallways, Sirius couldn't help but think that the house was quite lavish. It was just as big on the inside as it was on the outside, and as they passed various different rooms, Sirius found himself wondering how many rooms there were and how many were actually utilised.

Andromeda pushed a large wooden door open and the trio entered into an oversized kitchen. They paused for a moment while Andromeda asked a plump middle-aged woman to make a pot of tea. The ex-Black then led them through the kitchen to a set of glass double doors which she pushed open to reveal a large back garden – though, Sirius wasn't exactly sure it could be called a garden; it was more like a field surrounded by forestry and flowers.

Sirius stood at the door, taking in the landscape as Andromeda moved to sit down at a large glass table. She cleared her throat lightly, calling the two men's attentions, and gestured to the other seats at the table expectantly. Remus dutifully took the seat across from her and Sirius took the one nested between his partner and his cousin.

Silence reigned over the trio for a moment and Sirius relaxed as he looked around field-garden. The only noises present in their silence consisted of nature and the gentle breeze. The sun shone down on the garden, emphasising the colour in the flowers and making the Animagus feel calmer than he had been tens of minutes before.

The peace was broken when a loud shout sounded from the house and Dora, the child from earlier, came running out of the double doors, her arms full of toys and a large bag. The girl stopped abruptly just outside of the door and clamped her mouth shut as she looked between the two mysterious men. Slowly, she walked into the garden, watching Sirius and Remus carefully as she sat down on the grass and emptied her bag. Sirius watched her too, wondering who she was and why she looked so familiar.

"My daughter, Nymphadora," Andromeda explained; Sirius jumped at the sudden words and instantly realised why the child looked so known: she was a younger duplicate of his cousin. "Dora, would you come here please?"

The child jumped up immediately and quickly went to her mother's side.

"Dora," Andromeda said calmly. "This is my cousin: Sirius."

Dora frowned for a moment as she studied him before she nodded, smiled widely and stuck her hand out forcefully. "Nymphadora Tonks," she said. "But call me Dora."

"She's not overly fond of her name," Andromeda said quietly.

"Sirius Black," he replied, taking her hand and shaking it; he was surprised by her strong, almost violent, handshake. "You can call me Sirius," he said when she released his hand.

Dora nodded. "Sirius it is," she said happily before she looked at Remus and leaned across the table, sticking her hand out. "And you are?"

Remus smiled and shook her hand. "Remus Lupin."

Dora nodded again and took her hand back, her attention focusing on Sirius again. She tilted her head to the side questioningly and inspected him. "So," she said, elongating the 'O' as any seven/eight year old would. "Are you my uncle?"

"Er," Sirius shrugged. "Yes. Sort of."

She hummed thoughtfully before she grinned. "Okay," she accepted. "Do you want to play with me?"

"Maybe later, Dora," Andromeda answered. "Sirius and I have a lot to talk about."

Nymphadora nodded and moved around the table to stand at Remus' side. "Would you like to play with me? I have Lego."

Remus chuckled. "I love Lego," he admitted before Dora dragged him from his chair to the spot on the grass where she had lain out all of her toys.

Sirius and Andromeda watched the two for a moment before they turned to each other. He could definitely see the similarities between Andromeda and Nymphadora. They had the same thick hair, same nose and eye shape. The blue hair was quite an interesting colour for a child, he mused.

"She's certainly..." he trailed off and nodded his head dumbly, literally at a loss for words. He searched his brain for a way to describe Andromeda's daughter. From what he had seen so far, she had a lot of attitude for a child – he didn't know whether that was a good thing or not – and he surmised that she was quietly confident.

Andromeda smiled. "Yes, I know. Unique is the word we like to use," she informed, smiling at her playing child before she looked back at Sirius. "Nymphadora is a Metamorphmagus," she explained. "That is why her hair is blue at the moment. She saw it in a book and decided to make her hair that colour. It has been like that for three weeks now."

Sirius chuckled and nodded.

"I would introduce you to Ted," she continued. "But he went to the shops not so long ago. He should be back soon enough, though." She paused as he nodded his acknowledgement before she leaned back in her chair placidly. "Sirius, please don't think me rude, but I have to ask." Sirius nodded again. "Why are you here? How did you find me?"

Sirius felt his nerves rise up again, irrationally worried that she didn't really want to see him and had only invited them in to be polite. He looked over at Remus who offered an encouraging smile and a nod. Sirius nodded back and inhaled slowly, turning back to Andromeda. He was just about to speak when he was stopped by the woman from the kitchen announcing the tea.

The middle-aged woman stepped out of the house; with her she brought a large silver tray that held four posh-looking cups and a large matching teapot. As she placed the tray on the table, the cups clattered. She paid no mind to it and began pouring tea silently, leaving the fourth cup empty. Once she was done, she placed two of the cups in front of Sirius and Andromeda before she walked over to Remus with the third cup and handed it to him. Finished her task, she disappeared back into the house. Sirius took a sip before he set the cup down and finally answered Andromeda.

"Well," he began, "I, uh... I came here because I wanted to find you. I've been searching for a while, you see. But, well, you didn't make it easy," he admitted with a nervous laugh; she sent an unreadable smile, and he continued, "I'm an Auror. It's my job to find people, in a way. Plus, I had some help."

Andromeda regarded him thoughtfully. "I didn't think I would ever see you again," she finally admitted.

"Ditto," he agreed. "I've been trying to find you for years. I tried when I was sixteen, after I left. But, every time, I just came up empty. I only managed to find you now because Remus helped me."

The brunette smiled in Remus' direction before a small frown graced her features and she turned her brown eyes on Sirius again. "When you **left**?"

Sirius nodded. "Yeah. I left Grimmauld Place. It all started to go downhill the moment I was sorted into Gryffindor, but between fifth and sixth year, I just..." He shrugged as he tried to think of the right words. "Snapped. And I left, before they could kick me out – before they could break me. They disowned me shortly after, but it was **my** decision to leave, you know?"

Andromeda grinned proudly. "I didn't know if you would," she said truthfully. "I had hoped you would, but... I am sorry you couldn't find me back then. I didn't want them finding me again. I didn't want to bring trouble on Ted's family. They were Muggles; I couldn't do that to them." She looked up at the house. "This is Ted's parents' house. Ours now, I suppose." She turned back to Sirius. "I still cannot believe you are here," she murmured, looking at him in amazement. "Or that you are... you know," she said, gesturing towards Remus with her head.

Sirius laughed. "What? No signs?" he joked. Andromeda laughed melodically and sipped her tea. Sirius felt there was more to discuss; he wanted to know his cousin again, and everything that had happened in the past decade or so. "Andy... I've missed you. There's so much we need to talk about. So much time has passed."

She nodded understandingly. "How long are you here for?"

"I have to be back in London before 2PM on Monday. So, about two days."

Andromeda sighed and nodded, her face thoughtful. "Well," she said after a moment. "How about you stay for dinner tonight? I'm sure Dora would love to get to know you more, and I personally would love to spend more time with you. I want you to meet Ted, too. And tomorrow, if you are not busy, you could come over again if you'd like?"

Sirius stifled a grin and said, "If we're not intruding. I know we showed up unexpectedly."

"It's fine, Sirius. We had no plans."

Sirius beamed and nodded vigorously. "Okay, then. I would love to," he said happily. "Don't have to hide away with Remus if I'm here, right?"

"Of course not," she replied, smiling.

Sirius smiled and looked around the garden. "So, why did you move here?"

"This is Ted's family estate," Andromeda answered. "But also, I didn't think my family would come looking for me in a Muggle town. Especially since it is also a Muggle tourist destination. Quite a perfect hiding place, really."

A loud giggle drew their attentions and they found Nymphadora laughing outright at Remus' failed tower. Dora picked up the fallen Lego pieces and added them to her own tower as Remus began rebuilding. They watched as Andromeda's daughter and Sirius' partner built more things.

"Dora seems quite taken with Remus," Andromeda murmured after a moment.

"Yeah," Sirius nodded, watching the pair. "He has a way with kids. And animals. Always has."

He purposefully left out the reasons as to why Remus was so good with kids and animals. He didn't think it was quite the right time to tell his cousin that he had shacked up with a werewolf. While he had come to the conclusion that she was open-minded, he didn't know just how open-minded she was. He didn't know how she would react upon learning of Remus' affliction. He wanted her to get to know him first.

"He seems like a good man," she murmured.

"He is," Sirius assured.

"So," she said, calling his attention again. "We have a lot of catching up to do, cousin. Tell me about yourself. I want to know all about your life: your friends, your job, your hobbies. I want to know everything."

Sirius took another sip of tea and began talking. He talked about his life after he was sorted into Gryffindor, and after she left. He told her about James and Lily, and Peter and Mary. He told her stories of his youth – of pranks and detentions. He told her about his relationship with Remus – just the basics, not going into immense detail about it. In return, Andromeda told him about her life after leaving – about marrying Ted and falling pregnant, moving in with his Muggle parents and assimilating to the lifestyle. She spoke about the senior Tonks' passing and the house and fortune being left to them. She talked about her new friends (mostly Muggles) and family (her husband and daughter).

They talked comfortably and openly. It was as if nothing had changed, as if they hadn't spent years apart leading completely separate lives. Sirius was glad to discover that he no longer felt the urge to throw up. The nerves and anxieties and worrisome thoughts that had plagued his mind over the past weeks had completely disappeared, eased away by Andromeda's honest smile and calming tone.

"Dromeda?"

Sirius and Andromeda paused their conversation and looked at the double doors that separated the garden from the kitchen. In the doorway stood a short man with a kind face. He looked confused as his blue eyes moved from Remus to Sirius to Andromeda. He tilted his head questioningly, reminding Sirius of Dora's earlier behaviour.

"Ted!" Andromeda exclaimed happily. "Ted," she said more calmly, standing up as the man stepped out of the house and walked to stand at her side. "This is Sirius, my cousin," she introduced.

Sirius stood up and thrust his hand out to the man his cousin loved, wanting to make a good first impression. "Sirius Black," he reintroduced.

"Sirius, this is Ted, my husband of nearly eight years," she said unnecessarily.

"Edward Tonks," the man replied, giving Sirius' hand a firm shake. "But please, call me Ted." He released Sirius and slipped an arm around Andromeda's waist affectionately. Sirius absently noted the man was shorter than his cousin. "It's nice to finally meet you, Sirius. Andromeda has spoken a lot about you over the years. All good things," he assured; Sirius grinned and Ted turned to his wife. "And the man building Lego with our daughter?"

Remus took that as his cue and he stood up, walking over to stand at Sirius' side. He held his hand out and Ted took it, shaking it firmly.

"This is Remus Lupin," Andromeda replied. "Sirius'... partner."

Ted stared at them for a long moment, seemingly trying to process Andromeda's words, before he nodded slowly. "Ah," he said. "Right. Okay... Well, then. It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Remus."

Remus nodded and smiled politely. "Likewise," he replied, taking his hand back.

"Sirius and Remus are staying for dinner," Andromeda informed her husband. "We still have so much to talk about, and I want you and Dora to get to know Sirius some more. Also, Dora seems to have taken quite a shine to Remus."

As if to illustrate her point, Nymphadora came over and hugged her father briefly before she grabbed Remus' hand and dragged him back to their spot, pulling him back to the ground to continue playing Lego with her. Ted sat down at the table next to Andromeda and listened quietly as the two ex-Blacks returned to their conversation.

* * *

Sirius glanced around the oversized wooden table in the large dining room, smiling at the family that sat around it. At the head of the table sat Ted, Andromeda on his right and Sirius on his left. Next to Andromeda sat Nymphadora (on a plump cushion that helped the petite girl eat comfortably) and next to Sirius sat Remus.

The group sat at the same end of the long table, leaving the other end unused and bare. Sirius thought that the table was too big – especially considering there was only three of them in the immediate family (Andromeda, Ted and Nymphadora) – but he supposed it possibly seemed larger because his and Remus' kitchen table was small enough that they could knock knees under it.

As the Tonks got to know Remus more, Sirius watched placidly and his mind wandered back to the last time he had seen his cousin: The day she had told him she was leaving. Back then, he hadn't understood that she meant she wouldn't be coming back.

 **Young Sirius Black lay on his bed, stupendously bored. He had been forced by his parents (who had threatened to go and collect him personally, should he disobey them) to leave Hogwarts School of Warmth and Happiness and spend his second year Christmas at Grimmauld Place, only** **to be punished.**

 **It was utterly unfair, he thought. He didn't even know what he was being punished for! The second he had walked through the door, his mother had locked him away** **in his room with no explanation as to what he had done wrong.**

 **He supposed that, to his parents, there were many feasible reasons for his entrapment and lonely punishment. Perhaps it was his talk about his Gryffindor friends – the two Half-bloods and a 'blood traitor' – and House Pride. Or maybe it was his original refusal to return to the dark, cold family home. He supposed it could even be his pranks and exceedingly defiant behaviour. Whatever their reasons for his confinement, it didn't seem to matter anymore.** **His mother punished him because she** could **. And his father did nothing because he didn't want to.**

 **It didn't matter if he kept silent about his friends or complied with their demands. His mother would still find** **some reason to punish him. So, with that in mind, he decided to rebel. If they were going to punish him regardless, then he may as well be himself.**

 **Sirius frowned darkly up at the ceiling, wondering what time it was. His windows weren't covered, but it wouldn't matter if they were or if they were wide open on a sunny day** **–** **Grimmauld Place always seemed depressing and dark.**

 **A sudden crackle made Sirius sit up, still frowning. Andromeda Black suddenly appeared before his eyes, stood in the centre of his room. He grinned widely and hopped off the bed, lunging at her and wrapping his arms around her thin waist tightly.**

 **As he hugged his favourite cousin and she hugged back gently, Sirius idly wondered what he would do when he was seventeen and old enough to use magic. He would Apparate anywhere and everywhere that wasn't Grimmauld Place, he knew. He would visit his friends or go into Muggle London, or just go outside. As long as it was far away from his mother and the house he had spent his childhood in.**

 **Andromeda gave him** **one last squeeze before she pushed him away gently and sat on floor. Sirius sat down next to her and watched as she dug around her cloak pocket.**

 **"I heard they weren't feeding you," she whispered, hand deep in her pocket.**

 **"How did you hear that?" he asked. "They are feeding me," he added. "Just... Well, it's mainly bread and water: the basics. When they let me eat with them, I have to watch them eat nice food while I eat this white slosh that tastes like nothing. I think** **it's the House-Elves' food."**

 **Andromeda stared for a moment before she shook her head sadly.** **"That's not right," she murmured to herself. "Regulus wrote me," she answered his previous question, her voice still hushed. "He said he couldn't get into the room."**

 **Sirius nodded and glanced at the door, glad his brother still had his back – even if Regulus was a Slytherin. His** **eyes returned to his cousin as she removed a rather large box from her cloak. He** **wondered briefly how she had managed to fit it in her pocket before his stomach rumbled and those thoughts disappeared. He watched intently as she opened the box to reveal an assortment of food and sweets.**

 **"Here. I brought them for you, silly," she said softly when Sirius just looked at the food hungrily and made no move to take it.**

 **She shoved the box into his hands and he started eating the contents ravenously. He had spent the last few days locked in his room – cut off from all civilisation with only Kreacher to converse with, not that he had but he was so desperate for conversation that he had considered it** **– and had** **only been served three times a day with basic food rations.**

 **Andromeda rummaged around her pocket again and swiftly produced a small silver flask. It reminded Sirius of his father's – long, silver and burdened with the family crest – and he suspected hers was his uncle Cygnus'. The brunette's eyes flittered around the room before she spotted two** **small plastic dinosaurs (a present from Peter) and grinned.**

 **"Perfect," she said before she _Accio_ 'd them.**

 **The older Black transfigured the toys into two relatively large cups and poured purple liquid from the flask into them. Sirius ate and watched in wonder. His cousin made it look so simple. He hadn't gotten around to doing that in Transfiguration yet; he was looking forward to learning it.**

 **Andromeda handed him one of the cups which he took gratefully, gulping it down quickly. He handed her back the empty cup and she refilled it. He took another drink before he returned to his flavoursome meal. The witch watched silently as he ate fast and drank as if he had been lost in the forest for weeks. Her eyes were sad but she said nothing, smiling whenever he looked at her.** **She drank her drink slowly, taking her time to observe.**

 **Sirius noticed her watching and offered some of the food. She declined wordlessly, with a light shake of her head, and smiled. He returned the smile and continued consuming the food and drink. He looked into the purple liquid, momentarily wondering what it was that he was ingesting before he decided he didn't care. Everything Andromeda had brought him was delicious and sweet.**

 **Sooner than he would have liked, he finished the small banquet and handed the empty carton back to his cousin, thanking her as he did so. Andromeda took the box, stuffed it in her pocket, and poured the** **remnants of the flask into his cup before she put that back in her pocket too. After a silent moment, she stood up.**

 **"Sirius," she began, her** **voice sounding somewhat guilty – almost sorrowful. "I'm sorry. I have to go."**

 **Sirius stood up hurriedly and threw his arms around her, upset that the only human contact he had had for days was about to leave him. She hugged him back, her arms just as tight around him, and muttered apologies into his crown. They stood like that for a moment before he pulled back and smiled up at her innocently.**

 **"It's okay," he assured, hopeful grey eyes staring up at her. "I'll see you soon. Probably at the Annual Black Christmas ball."**

 **Brown eyes stared at him for a long moment,** **seemingly debating something, before she kneeled down and held his gaze.**

 **"Do not chan** **ge," she said, sounding unlike he had ever heard her before** **– serious and imploring** **. "Promise me, Sirius. Promise me that you will not turn into them. Promise me that you won't listen to them. Whatever they say about me... Just know that it is not true. This family, they are wrong. They are poisonous, and everything they say is false, do you understand? Just... Just know that this family and their opinions, they do not have to be yours. Trust yourself, Sirius. Trust yourself to keep making your own decisions. Promise me** **that you will not judge people based on what they are or what their blood status is – that you will stick to your morals. Do not let these people change you and beat you down. Please, promise me that you will not turn into them."**

 **Sirius frowned, utterly bewildered by this sudden harangue from his cousin, but nodded. "Okay," he said. "I won't. I promise," he vowed, unsure why she was telling him all of this but feeling the truth of her words sink in and connect with something in his core.**

 **In his short time at Hogwarts, Sirius had already learned that his parents' teachings were wrong and prejudiced, stated with a biased purpose and intent on preaching bitter hatred. Meeting the people he had met, he couldn't imagine judging someone because of their blood status or personal decisions/lifestyles.**

 **He knew for a fact that Muggle-borns were not unworthy scourges; Lily Evans was one of the smartest people he knew, getting some of the highest grades in the year.** **And two of his friends were Half-bloods – Purgatory, one of them was a 'Dark Creature' (not that Remus had told them yet; they had planned to confront him during Christmas break but, with Sirius being forced to go home, they had pushed it until January).**

 **Sirius had to bite his tongue at his parents' revolting diatribes on _'Dark Creatures'_ and their _'repulsive mannerisms'_. He knew that if he said anything, he wouldn't be able to stop. Remus was one of the lightest, kindest, cleanest people he knew, and he believed in equal rights** **– for everyone** **. His parents vehemently disagreed.**

 **"I promise," he repeated with conviction.**

 **Andromeda nodded and** **stood up straight. "You are important, Sirius. Do not forget that the** right **people do care for you. Know that someone in this family does love you." She sighed and stepped away. "I am sorry, but I really do have to go."**

 **He nodded and watched as she took another step back. She observed him for another moment before she nodded and** **Disapparated, disappearing from his life. Sirius moved over to his bed and lay down again. He spent the rest of his holiday thinking about his friends and Andromeda's parting words.**

As Sirius looked at his beautifully aged cousin, he realised that he didn't want to lose her again. He didn't want her to disappear from his life again. Andromeda Tonks (née Black) may have been the only biological family member to have ever have told him that he was loved, and he didn't want to lose the only living family member that he could stand to be around.

"Sirius?" Andromeda spoke, gaining his attention. "Are you okay?"

Sirius drew away from his thoughts and noticed that the food had been served. He looked across the table at his cousin, seeing the subtle concern on her face, and realised that he must have been daydreaming for a while. Quickly, he grinned and nodded.

"I'm fine," he assured. "Good, actually."

Andromeda contemplated him before she smiled and the group began eating their food.

The evening passed pleasantly and Sirius discovered that children had boundless energy and an unquenchable thirst for attention and knowledge. Over the meal and until her bedtime, Nymphadora didn't stop talking. She asked a continuous stream of _Would You Rather_ questions and quizzed him on debate topics – most of which she disagreed with him over; Sirius had more fun than he cared to admit while arguing with a seven year old over whether it was better to put water on the toothbrush before or after the toothpaste.

After Dora had gone to bed, Sirius and Remus stayed a little longer for a drink and some dessert. The four adults talked amicably and over the course of the evening Sirius and Andromeda reconnected. Ted and Remus also discovered that they had a lot in common – both enjoying art, literature and, apparently, they were both massive _Star Trek_ fans.

Soon enough, before any of them realised, it had reached 10PM; as much as Sirius wanted to spend more time with his reconnected family, he knew that he and Remus had to leave. He was beginning to feel tired (with the stress and events of the day, not to mention their early start) and he reckoned that they had taken up enough of the Tonks' time already – especially considering they would be back the next day to take up more of their time.

Ted offered to drive them to their Hotel and pick them up the next day. Sirius had tried to tell his cousin-in-law that it was okay and that he and Remus could just get a taxi but Ted insisted and Sirius had graciously accepted.

As they stepped out of the massive house, Sirius paused at the door. Ted and Remus, in silent acknowledgment, left the ex-Blacks to say their goodbyes in private and made their way to the car, in deep discussion about their favourite _Star Trek_ episodes.

Sirius stood on the outside step, watching his cousin carefully as she stood inside the doorway, watching him just as closely. He took a subtle deep breath and swayed, not wanting to leave. He had the somewhat irrational fear that if he left, she would disappear from his life again. He felt a little less self-conscious when he realised that Andromeda seemed just as reluctant for him to leave. She had offered for them to stay the night in one of the guest bedrooms but he couldn't – not when they had paid for the Hotel and all of their stuff was there.

Andromeda stepped out of the house and flung her arms around Sirius, pulling him into a tight embrace. He wrapped his arms around her and held on just as firmly.

"I am so sorry I left, Sirius," she muttered into his shoulder. "I had to. I didn't want to leave you alone, but I had to leave."

"It's fine," Sirius assured quietly. "I understand. It doesn't matter now. I've found you now."

For a long while, they just stood in the embrace. It was silent except for the background chatter of their significant others discussing the fictional Sci-Fi show.

"You remember that I love you, right?" Andromeda asked, breaking their silence.

Sirius grinned and nodded. "I never forgot."

When they finally pulled apart, Sirius saw a glistening trail down Andromeda's cheek. She ignored it, pretending it didn't exist, and he elected to do the same. He thought about wiping the tears away but decided not to as his cousin was clearly purposely overlooking it.

"I'll see you tomorrow," she demanded.

Sirius nodded faintly. "Yes," he agreed. "And hopefully a lot more in the future."

"Definitely," she promised, dragging him in for another quick hug. "Right." She pulled away. "You should go. I don't want him talking about that stuff all night. He talks about that Muggle show enough as it is," she joked.

Sirius chuckled, knowing he had the same problem. "I understand."

"We'll talk more tomorrow," she said.

He stood and observed her for another second, memorising her face just in case his irrational fears of losing her came true, before he nodded to himself, turned away and walked down the steps and path. He paused a little ways down the walkway and turned. He gave a wave and she waved back, not-so-subtly swiping at her cheek – wiping away a tear that she didn't try to hide or ignore.

"Tomorrow," she called after him.

"Tomorrow," he confirmed before he turned and walked the rest of the way to the car.

He climbed into the backseat silently and half-listened to Ted and Remus talk about the recent _Star Trek_ film as he mindlessly watched the dark scenery pass by. His thoughts wandered to the next day's possibilities and, as he sat in the back of the car, he thought about how happy he was to have found her again, and how determined he was to never lose his family again.

* * *

 **The End.**

* * *

 **Th** **ank you for reading and for your extreme patience! Hope you enjoyed it! =)**


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